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17 September 2008

Programme director
Premier Mbulelo Sogoni
His Majesty King Ndamase
The Executive Mayor of the OR Tambo municipality, Honourable Zoleka Capa
Leaders from religious formations
Representatives from other government departments
Representatives of community-based organisations
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen

The Eagle and its feathers!

We meet here today just as our nation is reeling from the shocking murder of a 10 year old girl and her mother this past weekend in New Castle in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region. News reports inform us that the little girl was still wearing her school uniform when police, neighbours and other members of the family made the gruesome discovery.

The above gloomy picture is, unfortunately, a daily living experience for many mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers and daughters in South Africa. It is for this reason that government continues to call for vigilance (not vigilantism) among members of our community.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us not forget that it was through unity and a common sense of purpose that South Africans brought the evil apartheid empire to its knees. It was because of the selfless bravery of stalwarts like Ruth Mompati, Helen Khuzwayo, Adelaide Tambo and Lillian Ngoyi that we are free as a nation today, let us not allows law abiding citizens to be terrorised by a few lawless characters.

It is for this reason that, as government, we appeal to members of the community, civil society structures and, especially, our churches, to work with us in trying to establish peaceful and crime free communities.

On its part, government's response to victims of crime can be traced back to the national crime prevention strategy, which was adopted during 1996. This initiative can also be located in government's commitment to reducing crime and reform the criminal justice system to work for our people, especially women and children. More significantly, at the heart of this transformation of the criminal justice system is the important need to place the victims at the centre.

No longer should victims be seen as an after thought, but as a key stakeholder that can determine the outcome of cases. With this new focus on victims and criminal justice, government, through the Justice Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS), has embarked on a number of strategic interventions.

Some of these include awareness campaigns such as the anticrime campaign, the national action plan on gender based violence (the 365 days campaign), and the 16 days of activism against the abuse of women and children campaign. Key to these campaigns is the implementation of the victim's charter, our blueprint on protecting all of those who are at the receiving end of crime and violence.

Another milestone, the Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP), adopted during 1998, is a consolidation of the existing rights afforded to all victims of crime. This programme defines social services for victims of crime, such as shelters, counselling and support to victims of crime, particularly abused women and children. Services should be rights-based and in line with minimum standards.

The challenge we face as South Africans is that in most instances, victims receiving services from government departments are sometimes not informed on their rights. It is for this reason that as government we embark on campaigns such as the victim's rights awareness week, which started on Monday and well end on Friday.

This campaign was a result of an agreement by the various government departments and some formations within civil society that, in order to address the scourge of crime effectively, we need to embark on a joint and collaborative approach.

Victim's rights awareness week presents us with an opportunity to collectively focus on the effects of all forms of crime on victims, communities and the nation, from an informed perspective. Through similar public awareness campaigns, progress will be showcased, new approaches to deal with the new and existing forms of crime will be developed and victims will be empowered to avoid secondary victimisation, thus reducing crime.

Victims who are informed of their rights and responsibilities can assist in conviction rates, influence parole board decisions and participate in restorative justice.

In this regard, it is government's goal to empower every member of the community and ensure that they understand these rights. For example, we should be able to differentiate the different roles played by the forensic detective, the nurse, doctor, police officer, prosecutor, social worker, psychologist and magistrate and, most importantly the government overall response to crime.

It is also of utmost importance that every member of the community is well equipped with their constitutional rights. Which include the right to:

* be treated with fairness, dignity, privacy and respect when laying a charge of crime.
* protection
* legal assistance
* compensation and restitution
* information.

To conclude, the litany of legislation, policies and awareness campaigns that government, in conjunction with the religious, civil and non-governmental organisation (NGO) sectors is embarking on, are aimed at ridding our society of the evil scourge of crime and violence.

But these tools can only be effective once members of the communities themselves are at the centre of these processes. It is also for this reason that as Government, we need to place that important unit, the family, at the centre of all our initiatives, if we are to succeed.

To end, allow me to quote that icon of the South African struggle against apartheid, former President Nelson Mandela, when he said, "Now is the time to unite and deal crime and violence a fatal blow. Now is the time to make South Africa a safe place for all its people; for investors and for our visitors. With your support, the government will deal effectively with crime."

Thank you.

Issued by: Department of Correctional Services
17 September 2008