Police Minister Becky Seeley.
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- Police Minister Becky Seeley says the DA is “Crying at the wrong funeral” When demanding the transfer of police powers.
- The DA in the Western Cape is pushing the Provincial Powers Bill, which would see certain functions transferred from the national government to the provincial government.
- For several months now, the party has been calling for the transfer of police powers to the provincial and municipal government.
Police Minister Becky Seeley again dashed the DA’s hopes of devolving police powers to the Western Cape government.
This is because the county DA is pushing the county powers bill as part of its plans to extend federal autonomy to able regional and local governments and empower them to manage functions delegated from the national government.
The bill would see the party move some functions from the national government to the provincial government.
These businesses include policing, public transportation, local public transportation, energy, electricity generation, transportation, and grids.
Seely, however, remained adamant that he did not have any powers to transfer to the DA.
“They want to pass a provincial powers bill with many national powers, including transportation and police.
He told News24 on Wednesday:
But I was telling them all the time that if they came to me, they were crying at the wrong funeral. I do not have powers to change laws.
Seely said this following a police briefing in Tshwane about the recent attacks on freighters in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
He added that the DA should consult with Justice Minister Ronald LaMolla.
“They should go to the Minister of Justice who is responsible for constitutional change and development because the matter they are raising is a constitutional issue,” Seely said.
In May, the DA introduced the bill as part of its commitment to extend federal autonomy to able provincial and local governments and empower them to manage functions delegated from the national government.
For several months now, the party has been calling for the transfer of police powers to the provincial and municipal government.
Read | Four more trucks were set on fire in Mpumalanga, bringing the total to 20 over the past few days
Both Seely and President Cyril Ramaphosa have repeatedly stated that the police are the prerogative of the national government.
In response to Seeley, the DA’s federal chair, Dr Evan Meyer, said: “The bill is open for public comment, and we welcome all comments.
“We are confident that the Western Cape Parliament will pass the bill and it will become a Western Cape law.
“The job allocation will be the next step in line with the job areas defined in the Powers Act.”
Meyer added that the bill had nothing to do with the Justice Department.
“Becky Seeley has no idea how government and legislation work.
“This only illustrates the main assumption of the bill, which is national incompetence, is the rationale for delegating powers to provinces and municipalities,” he said.