Mashatile conducts oversight visit on the Cape Flats

Deputy President Paul Mashatile is conducting an oversight visit in Mitchells Plain to assess the impact of the army’s deployment in the area.

Around 200 soldiers have been deployed to crime hotspots across the Western Cape under Operation Prosper.  

The Deputy President visited Tafelsig before heading to Gugulethu later on Wednesday. Mashatile conceded that the visit was brief, but he committed to returning to the area to address the community in a formal public meeting. 

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Flanked by police officers and security personnel, Mashatile addressed the residents of Tafelsig while a blue-light motorcade maintained a strict security perimeter around the area.

During his address, the Deputy President urged residents in crime-plagued neighbourhoods to come forward and assist the police with their investigations.

The oversight visit comes on the eve of the release of the latest Western Cape crime statistics.