4 December 2025 Media Release: R1 Million Safety Implementation Plan to help keep communities safe across the district
Media Release: R1 Million Safety Implementation Plan to help keep communities safe across the district
4 December 2025
Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) recently approved its Safety Implementation Business Plan for 2025/2026. This is a commitment to improving community wellness, strengthening crime-prevention systems, and enhancing coordinated responses to social instability across the region.
According to Mayor Marais Kruger, “the budget of R1 million will be utilised for a whole-of-government safety approach aimed at supporting municipalities, law enforcement agencies, and neighbourhood watches”.
The funding forms part of a Whole-of-Society Approach (WOSA) Grant, which promotes integrated collaboration across the Criminal Justice System (CJS), provincial and local government departments, SAPS, Neighbourhood Watches, Community Police Forums (CPFs), NGOs, and other civil society partners.
Neighbourhoods across South Africa face complex societal issues, including poverty, substance abuse, crime, illegal shebeens, land invasions, and unfavourable socio-economic conditions and vandalism of municipal infrastructure. Many of these challenges divert municipal funds away from development toward repairing damaged properties.
To respond more effectively, GRDM has strengthened its District Safety Forum and Community Safety Forum (CSF) structures, which are platforms designed to coordinate rapid, targeted interventions that prevent social unrest, land invasions, and localised other crime.
This collaborative model is supported by the Western Cape Provincial Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety (POCS).
| Budget Breakdown: R1 Million Investment in District Safety | |
| Project / Activity | Budget |
| Admin Support & Safety Plans for all Local Municipalities | R332 500 |
| District Law Enforcement Officer Project | R300 000 |
| 16 Days of Activism & GRDM CSF Safety Summit | R70 000 |
| District SAPS Partnership Projects | R80 000 |
| Community Dialogues | R70 000 |
| Rural Safety Project | R60 000 |
| CPF Support | R30 000 |
| District Safety Forum Operations | R20 000 |
| ABT Support | R20 000 |
| Garden Route District Safety Summit | R17 500 |
| Total Budget: | R1 000 000 |
“This investment gives us the tools to coordinate more effectively, act faster, and support our municipalities in making communities safer,” said Mayor Marais.
GRDM Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Services, Cllr Jobieth Hoogbaard, Chairs the District Safety Forum and added: “Through WOSA, we continuously do our best to bring together government, South African Police Services, civil society, and communities to create lasting, sustainable safety solutions”.
ENDS