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re: PAGAD A DRAIN ON POLICE RESOURCES -

Since the Murder of gang leader Staggie during the first week of August this year, the police have been obliged to commit extensive police resources towards policing numerous PAGAD marches and towards investigating PAGAD related criminal cases in the Western Cape.

During the 5 month period from 4 August 1996 until 4 December 1996, members of the Public Order Policing units in the Western Cape have had to spend 400 hours monitoring 50 PAGAD marches at a cost of R962 714,00 (excluding salaries). This information is all the more disconcerting if one considers that the personnel, the money and the vehicles could have been used to improve visible pro-active policing initiatives against drug, gang and taxi related crimes during this period.

Significant police investigative resources have also been spent on investigating numerous PAGAD related criminal cases. Detectives have worked more than 1253 hours of overtime, travelled 43,300 kilometres while investigating 53 PAGAD related case dockets.

Amongst the criminal charges investigated by the police are murder, attempted murder, assault, public violence, intimidation, illegal carrying of dangerous weapons, arson, malicious damage to property, aiding and abetting a prisoner and unlawful possession of an explosive device.

I know of no other community based anti crime organisation in the country which is interested in co-operating with the police in the fight against crime, against whose members or supporters such a wide range of serious criminal charges are being investigated.

We have reached the stage where it can be said without any doubt that PAGAD activities have undermined the ability of the SAPS in the Western Cape to optimise its fight against drug and gang related crime.

Even taxi violence is affected. From September to November 1996, when CATA and CODETA related taxi violence peaked, many members of the Public Order Policing Units, who should have been used to pro-actively police taxi violence, were engaged in policing PAGAD marches.

I am also concerned that the escorting of PAGAD marchers by the police tend to reinforce public perceptions that PAGAD is above the law and that its organised vigilantism is socially and politically acceptable. This perception can arise when the police are seen to escort PAGAD marches to the homes of persons who are rightly or wrongly accused by PAGAD of being drug lords and gangsters and when acts of violence and intimidation are committed by PAGAD members at such homes.

The Ministry for Safety and Security welcomes any community initiative to fight crime, provided their is co-operation with the police and provided that anti crime drives take place strictly within the ambit of the law. PAGAD needs to reflect on the way in which it is conducting its campaign. The police have instructions to act without fear or favour against any transgressor of the law.

Issued by: Ministry for Safety and Security

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