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Key to Government's Programme of Action, as outlined in the State of the Nation address, is our duty to improve the safety and security of all our citizens and communities.

This involves, among others, an entire review of the criminal justice system, integration between the security and social clusters to deal with the social roots of the many crimes communities experience, reducing contact crimes, recruitment and skilling of our law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and the implementation of an effective border control and security strategy - all aimed at improving the quality of life of all our people.

The JCPS Cluster, comprising Safety and Security, Defence, Intelligence, Justice, Home Affairs and Correctional Services, has developed a comprehensive, well-integrated and coordinated programme of action to meet government's security priorities.

1. Review of the Criminal Justice System

A major challenge for the cluster is that about 60 percent of convicted persons in Correctional Services are repeat offenders. To respond to this we will make available more human and material resources to enhance our rehabilitation programme. We will also establish partnerships with a larger number of civil society organs to make possible more opportunities for inmates to be released from prison in a bid to prevent recidivism.

Using the benefits of information technology, we will accelerate a pilot project on inmate tracking started in Durban and Johannesburg.

A comprehensive review of the entire Criminal Justice System will be proposed to Cabinet.

2. Sexual Offences and other forms of abuse against women and children

Particular attention will be paid to sexual offences and other forms of abuse against women and children with more specialised investigators to be made available and additional sexual offences courts established. To date government has established 50 such courts around the country. During the next five years, government will establish at least 10 such courts a year.

More Thuthuzela centres will be built to speed up the reporting, investigation and prosecution of crimes against women and children. These centres perform a multipurpose function to support victims of sexual offences. Trauma councillors, prosecutors and officials from relevant departments operate from the same complex thereby speeding up the investigation and prosecution of such crimes. Focused attention is being given to the development of rape correction programmes targeting especially young first offenders.

3. Railway Police

A pilot project of a newly devised railway policing structure will be implemented in Cape Town beginning 2005. Already 400 additional personnel have been recruited and will begin training in June until December 2004.

4. Forensic Services

The Forensic Laboratories are experiencing rapid growth in casework, with an increase of 22 percent in 2003. To meet the challenges facing these laboratories, new technology has already been introduced.

Fields of expertise include Ballistics, Questioned Documents, Biology, Scientific Analysis (Electronics, Material Analysis) Chemistry and Explosives.

At Ballistics, the Integrated Ballistics Information System (IBIS) was upgraded recently to improve capacity.

At Biology an automated forensic DNA typing system is to be installed soon. In addition the DNA analysis capacity will be decentralised to the KwaZulu-Natal laboratory in the near future to address the high demand experienced there.

A Gold Finger printing database is being developed at Scientific Analysis where the voice comparison ability has been upgraded.

Cognisance must be taken of the fact that scientific analysis is in most cases technically complex and time-consuming. For example, it takes at least 12 weeks to obtain a DNA profile.

5. Intelligence Capacity

Following the President's lead as set out in the State of the Nation Address, the Intelligence Services too will pursue a business-like approach to delivery on their mandate.

To provide the necessary intelligence support for government programmes, a key priority identified by the Cluster is the enhancement of the intelligence capacity - particularly in the areas of collection of quality information and improving the analytical capacity in both the immediate and long-term.

Additional resources will go towards the training of members and the recruitment of high-level specialists in the technical fields as well as improvement in the arena of human intelligence. These are critical areas requiring attention if intelligence is to provide the timeous information required by government.

The Intelligence Services are in the process of greatly enhancing both their outreach - internationally and domestically - and their analytical capacity so that they play a greater role in anticipating rather than describing threats. The achievement of this will require far greater cooperation and coordination of the Intelligence Services, both with our national role players and international partners.

International terrorism remains a world threat and the Intelligence Services will continue to tighten our border security - through cooperation with the JCPS Cluster departments - to ensure that the loopholes are closed and that greater efficiency is achieved.

6. Immigration

An accelerated programme to transform the immigration service and improve border control and security is underway. Such improvements relate to information management, the utilisation of specialised equipment to detect goods, drugs and explosives at ports of entry.

An interdepartmental training institution, specialising in skills development programmes for those deployed at ports of entry, will be established. Cabinet has committed itself to the transformation of the immigration service into an effective agency and a task team has already been established to fast track the implementation of this important task.

7. Border Control

We will finalise the upgrading of the 53 land ports of entry and build new border posts for, among others, the new transfrontier conservation areas. Efforts are being fast-tracked to enable our services to address areas of corruption around entry on our borders. We intend increasing the presence of immigration officers at all ports of entry.

8. Cluster co-ordination

Improved cooperation between the JCPS and the Social Sector and Economic clusters to deal with social crimes, will be established. A crime and socio-graphic profile of areas in the country with the highest incidence of contact crimes is to be conducted. The profiles will be used to develop action plans in co-operation with various role-players to address causes of crime, especially social crimes.

We are already working with the Human Sciences Research Council and Statistics South Africa to further enrich our understanding of the generators of social crime. We will also work with relevant provincial governments and local authorities to formulate programmes that will form part of our social crime prevention thrust.

10. Peacekeeping

The SANDF will continue to participate in the UN's peacekeeping efforts and in other instances where there is an appeal for assistance received from countries in Africa through the AU.

Special projects have been defined for a number of departments as part of an intervention to help the DRC to finalise the peace programme. Cluster departments to be part of these efforts are: SAPS, SASS, Justice, SANDF and Home Affairs. Home Affairs will develop a system of election registration in the DRC.

11. Policing Oversight

The Independent Complaints Directorate in its oversight role of the police is continually asked to assist in Africa. This is in line with one of the imperatives of NEPAD - the promotion and protection of human rights. Exchanges are already taking place to establish oversight mechanisms among neighbouring states.

12. 2010 World Cup

Structures are in place to address issues relevant to the Cluster in preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup to be played in South Africa.

Issued by: Ministry of Safety and Security
25 May 2004