SOUTH Africa’s worst police district in terms of crime-related incidents is Mitchells Plain in the Western Cape.According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), it was the country’s leading station by volume in contributing to the total of 1.8-million reported serious crimes in the 12 months to March.Crime in the Western Cape — in particular gang violence in Mitchells Plain — has been at the centre of a continuing battle between the Democratic Alliance (DA)-controlled provincial government and Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.DA leader Helen Zille has called on the national government to deploy the army in the gang-swept Cape Flats to try and bring the violence under control. She also wanted to institute a commission of inquiry into the high crime rate in the area but this has been fiercely resisted by Mr Mthethwa.Ms Zille said gang violence spikes were a policing and security issue. "Only the SAPS has the power to undertake collecting evidence, affecting arrests and ensuring con...
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