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4 June 2008

Prioritising the safety and security of all South Africans and the Development for a Better Life

Madam Speaker
Honourable Members of the Parliament

This speech intends to responds to our democratic values and what we have heard from all citizens across the country. Their outcry revolves around the issues of poverty, better living conditions, and safe and secure social environment to enable all South Africans to participate meaningfully in the socio economic development of this country. Therefore, our greatest responsibility as government is to provide peace and stability for everyone who lives in this country. This budget strives to address this fundamental need. In 2004 we set ourselves a target to reducing crime in our country.

The area of most concern remains specific categories of aggravated robbery, such as robberies at residential and business premises, which are still on the increase. Docket analysis pertaining to both these crime tendencies indicates that cellular telephones or accessories and cash were the most sought after items during such crimes. This may be attributed to the fact that these items are easy to remove, or can easily be bartered for cash on the streets.

The department has introduced the Second-Hand Goods Bill, 2008, formally early during 2008. The Bill is regarded as an important tool to combat organised crime as such helping communities to fight crime. The purpose of this bill is to discourage and eliminate a market for stolen property. It puts the honours on dealers who are in business in this industry to act responsible for the second–hand goods they sell. This bill enhances and improves the police interventions.

We are satisfied with the penalties that would be meted out to those who do not comply.

A practical implementation will enhance the work done in various provinces. For instance, the "Reject and Report Stolen Goods" campaign continues to make an impact on the reduction of crime and enjoys the support of the community in Eastern Cape.

Substance abuse continues to destabilise our communities, testing the strength and endurance of our youth and schools. Alcohol and drugs are the most used and have been identified as among others crime generators. Anti-drug awareness campaigns taking place among our communities need to encouraged and ensures that they include and be driven by the youth.

The corporate strategy of the Western Cape, the People Orientated Sustained Strategy (POSS) seek to generate a shared understanding among the people of Western Cape of what crime prevention involves. This is essential in providing a beacon for collective and integrated action by the civil society and creating a shared responsibility in the fight against crime.

The shebeens are another area of concern; as well they are role-player in the arena of crime generators. It is in such places where gangs and perpetrators of crime run protection rackets, receive and sell stolen goods. Some shebeens are situated next to schools and renders such institutions dysfunctional

Should we have liquor outlets see as economics generators and contributors in our communities despite that they destroy the moral fibre of our community and lead to high contact crimes committed within their precinct?

Implementation of Revised Reservist System

Reservists have taken charge and play a positive role in our police station and within our communities.

Reservists are utilised operationally to support the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the following areas of responsibility:

* day-to-day general functional policing of the station area to support enhanced service delivery and implementation of sector policing, including rural safety, complaints attendance and detective services
* execution of crime prevention operations and crime prevention patrols at sector level to support enhanced visibility (patrols and road blocks)
* policing of the border line in the sector policing area as second tier of protection (including at airstrips, airfields, slip ways and border line)
* policing of major events (policing the outer perimeter)
* providing disaster management support, and
* functioning in a specialised support environment either as pilots, social workers, legal advisors, financial experts, and so on.

A standard operational procedure has been put in place that addresses the total reservist system process, including enlistment, administration, discipline, management, financial procedures and controls, as well as operational call up and utilisation.

Procedures include the call-up of reservists based on prevailing crime trends/threats/problems at station level, as well as supporting rural safety, for which reservists are remunerated. Call up is on a rotational basis, however, the essence of the reservists system remained a voluntary system. It is further required that each reservist performs sixteen (16) hours voluntary duty per month.

The total number of active reservists stands at 49 712, given that they have a big in policing and combating crime it is clear that the number of reservist we have posses a challenge to SAPS as 2010 is around the corner. Keeping these figures at this level however compels the SAPS to up they recruitment strategy as a matter of urgency.

Sector policing

Another area where the success of policing is reliant on active community participation is that of sector policing. Sector policing has been implemented at 139 of the 169 high contact crime centres. In total 737, 24-hour sectors are currently in operation and supported by 6 566 members.

The effectiveness of sector policing (to ensure closer co-operation and integration with the community), however, entails a resource intensive exercise and the establishment of local partnerships.

The draft Sector Policing Policy was revised during February 2008. This Draft on Sector Policing, as well as the operational strategy of SAPS, also makes provision to address the rural safety aspects and the needs of the total rural community, including the farming community.

The sector policing approach will aim to sustain and integrate the rural safety strategy by providing a properly trained and resourced capacity to implement rural safety measures. The strategy further aims to promote the effective and dedicated participation and involvement of all internal and external role-players in an integrated, joint and co-ordinated manner.

The implementation of sector policing is based on the following:

* the demarcation of the police station into manageable sectors,
* the appointment of Sector Commanders and dedicated members for each sector,
* the establishment of contact points in the sectors, and
* the establishment of sector crime fora in the sectors.

There are various examples of good practices with regard to the implementation of sector policing and the impact it has on crime. Orange Farms police station in Gauteng has reduced contact crimes. The effectiveness of sector policing at this police station has a direct impact on the decrease in the mentioned crimes. The police station is divided into five sectors and the Community Police Forum is actively involved in the sectors. 166 Volunteers are working in the sectors and the community is actively involved to identify and address the policing challenges. Police patrols are performed on a 24-hour basis and the volunteers and CPF role-players partake in the patrol duties.

During the period under review the SAPS dealt with the following strategic processes as part of the Inter-sectoral Committee for Child Justice: work commenced on a Management Information System which enables the criminal justice system to track children who are in trouble with the law, thereby ensuring that the correct interventions are undertaken to prevent them from offending repeatedly.

The system will also enable identification of problem areas/challenges, with the view to resolving these challenges. The provincial Systems for the Management of Children Awaiting Trial were reviewed to ensure that effective and immediate interventions can be done across departments to address local challenges in the management of the child justice system. The preventive strategies to prevent children from becoming offenders, as well structured partnerships between departments and civil institutions to promote crime prevention were reviewed.

The SAPS participated in the Children Used by Adults for Committing Crime (CUBAC) pilot intervention which commenced in 2005. Over the past year a strategy was developed to roll out the programme to all provinces. The CUBAC intervention was piloted by the Department of Labour (funded by the International Labour Organisation (ILO)) in order to establish sound practices for the treatment and rehabilitation of children used by adults to commit crime and to facilitate the prosecution of those adults. Under the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions, CUBAC is recognised as one of the worst forms of child labour. Therefore it is imperative for funding to be utilised to protect the country's most valuable assets children at all costs. The inter inter-departmental co-operation is vital in this regard.

The pilot sites were Mitchell's Plain and Mamelodi and involved SAPS provincial offices and station commissioners, as well as other officials of the criminal justice system (prosecutors, social workers, court officials, etc). A final report is expected to be available from the Department of Labour by July 2007.

Violence prevention is aimed at reducing violence through strategic partnerships with departments, civil society and non-governmental organisations addressing the social generators of crime. This involvement is aimed at reducing victimisation/offending; repeat victimisation/offending and at preventing victimisation.

The programmes managed included programmes for children and the youth, and programmes on victim empowerment, reducing gender-based violence, rape and domestic violence. Government initiated these programmes by involving civil society in developing and implementing them. The following are strategic partnerships in this regard:

The Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP), was established as a result of the National Crime Prevention Strategy (1996). The programme was led by the Department of Social Development for purpose of developing, implementing and monitoring the VEP across departments. Key activities in the period under review included the costing of the draft VEP policy and the monitoring of inter inter-departmental provincial service provision.

The Victim Charter is a sub programme of the VEP. The implementation of the Victim's Charter, also known as the "Services Charter for Victims of Crime" is co-ordinated by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. Key activities during the period under review have included the establishment of inter-departmental provincial monitoring mechanisms for the Victim's Charter and the development of an inter-sectoral training framework. A total number of 594 victim-friendly facilities have been established to date and are located per province. During the reporting period 454 members were trained in victim empowerment. This approach responds to the public outcry that victims of crime receive less attention from the state.

In relation to crime prevention in Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme (ISRDP) and Urban Renewal Programme (URP) capacity-building work sessions were conducted in seven provinces (Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Free State, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng) to ensure a uniform understanding of the responsibilities of the SAPS in the ISRDP and URP nodes and in the integrated development planning processes at local government level. The focus was on using these programmes to address causes and contributing factors to crime that are related to the functions of other departments and participants in these programmes.

All station commissioners from police stations within the ISRDP/URP nodes, as well as contact crime stations, were capacitated regarding Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). A total number of 362 officials from the SAPS, local government and other departments were capacitated during the work sessions. Guidelines on crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) were developed, illustrating the commitment of the SAPS to provide guidance in creating safer and more secure communities. The concept of crime prevention through environmental design focuses on Pillar Two (reducing crime through environmental design) of the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) which was conceptualised in May 1996. The aim of these guidelines is to promote co-operation between the SAPS, local government, key role players and other community structures to engage and participate in improving crime prevention initiatives at a local level by adopting the principles of crime prevention through environmental design. This document provides practical recommendations that will assist the SAPS, local government and other role players to incorporate CPTED principles when planning and designing new environments (buildings such as schools, shopping malls, hospitals as well as residential areas, parks, etc.).

The Community Policing Forum (CPF) have a critical role in our communities, they have a task of promoting local accountability of the police, ensuring the co-operation of communities with the service and improve service delivery.

There are currently a total number of 1 111 Community Police Forums established at the 1 112 police stations. The Community Policing Forum database for the nine provinces is as follows:

Successes of CPF includes improved police reception by the communities, co-ownership of policing programmes between the CPFs, Department of Safety and Security and South African Police Service, e.g. in Kimberley, Bekkersdal, Sebokeng, Impendle and Paballelo stations, SAPS accounts to communities on a monthly basis about progress with regard to crime prevention,

The challenges faced by the CPFs include the alignment of demarcation of municipality wards and boundaries, some of municipal Integrated Development Plans do not provide for CPFs projects, lack of co-operation between the CPFs and other stakeholders poses a challenge to the smooth delivery of service for the forum.

However, CPFs are a critical player in the mass based partnerships. Addressing the challenges they face will open a channel for the mobilisation of communities.

Another successful programme within communities is the Take Charge projects in Gauteng delivering remarkable results in the communities. Communities have formed patrol units that have a common identity and a common goal, to combat crime. The communities have developed neighbourhood watch structures and feel safe in the townships take to partnership.

Through the presidential working groups a partnership was established between Big Business and the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster in 2006 under the stewardship of Minister Nqakula. The objective was developing sustainable responses to the complex challenges presented by crime. This forum has contributed in the reduction of some crimes i.e. cash-in-transit and retail robberies.

The forum consists of four working groups:

Violent Organised Crime Group: this group focuses on serious violent crime which includes Corporate Income Tax (CIT), house robberies and business robberies, vehicle and truck-jacking.

Mobilising society: this group focuses on mobilisation all organised and non-organised formations in the fight against crime.

Review of Criminal Justice System: this group focuses on the review of the whole criminal justice system.

Performance enhancement initiatives: this group focuses on how best the justice system can be capacitated and skilled.

Employee assistance services

The department appreciates and cares for its employees. Furthermore acknowledges the commitment and dedication of our men and women in blue and will continue to persuade those members to maintain the status in the line of duty. The ability of the SAPS to fulfil its mandate rests heavily on the sound mental, balanced social functioning of employees.

Our Employee Assistant Services programme include stress management, healthy lifestyles, positive living, self management, colleague sensitivity, personal financial management, life skills, trauma debriefing, suicide prevention, stress management, ethics and anti-corruption workshops, HIV/AIDS and disability management.

One of our biggest challenges remains the protecting and safeguarding of the lives of our dedicated men and women against cruel attacks on them. We need the community to be our eyes and ears.

In conclusion, it is clear from our plans that it is not going to be business as usual, thus we commit ourselves to break new grounds. In doing so, we will respond to the safety and security challenges facing poor communities, to crush the shackles of poverty and unemployment as we move to a better, safer and stable South Africa which is and will be cherished by all generations.

The ministry commits itself to continue to support police personnel who have committed themselves in ensuring a safe and secured environment that provides the care necessary for all South Africans.

Madam Speaker, honourable members of parliament, we as a nation can only express our gratitude to those persons who take the time to join us in the fight against crime during their valuable spare time.

Issued by: Department of Safety and Security
4 June 2008