Democratic Alliance (DA) police spokesperson Ian Cameron on Friday called for policing functions to be shared between national, provincial and local authorities, to allow the South African Police Services (Saps) to more efficiently allocate its resources and focus on national concerns.

Cameron said he was "deeply appalled" by the "senseless" killings that have gripped Western Cape communities in Athlone, Bishop Lavis and Mamre over the last two days, where 17 people lost their lives, in what he called "a disturbing wave of violence". 

He said a shared policing approach would empower well-equipped local authorities to deliver region-specific policing solutions.

It will also improve response time to investigations and address endemic issues, such as gang violence, he believes.

Cameron noted that until the Saps crime intelligence functioned at full capacity, the country would continue to witness the tragic loss of life in society. 

He called on Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and the Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC to urgently strengthen the cooperative policing model.

"We must work towards a robust, intelligence-led policing framework that preserves the safety of all South Africans without putting additional strain on our national budget," he said.