Too many people have been victims of crime and don’t feel safe in the Western Cape.
This is the view of finance MEC, David Maynier – who shared the sentiments during his budget speech on Monday.
In response, the finance MEC has allocated R4.4 Billion to improving safety in the province.
The biggest portion of this allocation, which is R1.1 Billion, will be spent on supporting law enforcement officers.
According to Manyier, the rest will be spent on violence prevention and fighting crime.
“We will spend R43 Million over the medium term to support violence prevention and the fight against the causes of crime; and also spend R18 million over the medium term to support area-based teams to fight crime, and the causes of crime, in crime hotspots across the Western Cape”.
Maynier has also set aside R90 Billion to protect education in the province.
He says the allocation will ensure that there are more teachers, teaching assistants and classrooms throughout the province.
In addition, more than R730 Million will be used to build new schools and upgrade existing ones.
This will include the construction of the new Manenberg School of Skills.
Manyier said local government must invest in these kinds of infrastructure assets.