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21 April 2026 Media Release: Garden Route Safety Summit Strengthening and Enhancing District Safety and Crime Prevention

Media Release: Garden Route Safety Summit Strengthening and Enhancing District Safety and Crime Prevention

21 April 2026

The annual Garden Route Safety Summit took place at the Garden Route District SAPS offices on 17 April, bringing together Mayors, senior management, Provincial Oversight Committees (POCs), SAPS, Law Enforcement, Safe Schools, and representatives from the Departments of Education, Social Development, Correctional Services and Department of Agriculture.

This summit aims to support planning with local municipalities for the 2026/27 business safety plan, while also reflecting on the successes and challenges of the past year. It further provides a platform for consultations to strengthen community dialogues and key programmes such as the:

  • Thembalethu Area-Based Team (ATB);
  • 16 Days of Activism campaign;
  • District Safety Summits;
  • law enforcement coordination;
  • Community Policing Forum (CPF) training; and
  • among others.

In a brief welcoming address, GRDM Executive Mayor, Alderman Marais Kruger, officially opened the gathering and highlighted that the summit forms part of the broader Safety Implementation Business Plan for 2026/2027 and is supported by a R1 million Whole-of-Society Approach (WOSA) investment by the Western Cape Provincial Government. “This approach strengthens partnerships between government, law enforcement, and communities, ensuring improved coordination and a more integrated response to safety challenges,” Mayor Kruger said.

Major General Cetyana, SAPS District Commander, presented a comprehensive overview of the Garden Route District’s nine-month crime statistics, including the district’s safety response and ongoing interventions aimed at combating crime. He also provided an update on the status of police stations and satellite stations in the Garden Route District identified for upgrades, including those in Kwanonqaba, Kwanokuthula, Dysseldorp, Sedgefield, and Herbertsdale.

Cetyana provided a breakdown of the 17 community-reported serious crimes, the root causes of these crimes, and the successes achieved during the period from 1 April to 31 December 2025. He concluded with an overview of current interventions aimed at addressing and reducing crime, and acknowledged the collaboration between the Garden Route District South African Police Service and all agencies within the Security Cluster, including Community Police Forums, Farm Watches, Neighbourhood Watches, Community in Blue, private security, as well as district and local municipalities, which contributed to the results achieved.  “The concerted efforts of all parties involved will most definitely ensure that the Garden Route District experiences a reduction and stabilisation in crime, ultimately creating a safer environment for both residents and visitors to our district,” he said.

Western Cape Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety representative, Vuyani Mbaqa, presented on the Western Cape Safety Plan for 2025–2030. He unpacked the vision and impact statement of the Western Cape Government, stating: “The impact that the Western Cape Safety Plan aims to achieve is to ensure that the Western Cape is a resilient and safe society.” Mbaqa commended GRDM for being the only district municipality in the Western Cape to comply with the Western Cape Business Plan.

Gail Bekeer, Senior Secretary and Administrator for District Safety, provided feedback on the Garden Route Business Plan for 2025/2026 and reflected on the successes of the past year. She also reported on funds allocated to the various local municipalities and consultations undertaken to facilitate community dialogues.

The second segment of the summit comprised a question-and-answer session based on the presentations delivered. This session was highly interactive and generated robust discussion among participants. One proposal was that all municipalities within the district should adopt standardised by-laws to more effectively combat crime.

The representative from the Department of Education expressed appreciation to the GRDM for including the department as a stakeholder, noting that by pooling resources, they can add value to, among others, the School Safety Project.

Featured image: Alderman Marias Kruger (GRDM Executive Mayor), Vuyani Mbaqa (Western Cape Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety), Cllr Jobieth Hoogbaard (Portfolio Chairperson: Community Services), and Major General Cetyana (Garden Route SAPS).

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