Parliament, Wednesday, 26 August 2020 – The Portfolio Committee on Police is concerned by the flagrant disregard displayed by the City of Cape Town and Executive Mayor Dan Plato for the oversight function of the Portfolio Committee on Police. The committee wants the City to account to it about the evictions that took place on 01 July 2020.
Following numerous letters between the City and the committee, the committee was left with no option but to initiate a process to summons the City to account on issues of policing around the evictions. The initial invite was send to the City of Cape Town on 13 August 2020 clearly setting out the scope of interest the committee had on the matter. The response received on 19 August made it clear that the City will not be “taking up your invitation to appear before the committee”.
While the committee accepts that the City of Cape Town appeared before other committees in Parliament, their appearances did not relate specifically to issues of policing. The Portfolio Committee on Police is mandated to deal with issues of policing in the National Assembly, hence the invite to ensure that law enforcement within the City of Cape Town is held accountable for its actions.
Furthermore, the committee is empowered by Section 56 of the constitution to summon any person or organisation to appear before it to give evidence. It is on this basis that the committee views the city’s refusal as a flagrant undermining of the constitution.
The committee remains of the view that all facets of policing, at all levels of government, are not above scrutiny or above the constitution. It is on this basis that the committee has requested Parliament’s Legal Services unit to initiate summons process to compel the City of Cape Town to appear before the committee.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MS TINA JOEMAT-PETTERSSON.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
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E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
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