Deputy Minister Maggie Sotyu: Independent Police Investigative Directorate Lekgotla

Programme Director,
Executive Director of the IPID, Mr Robert McBride,
Senior Management of the IPID,
Distinguished guests,
Good morning.

It is my privilege to open this IPID’s lekgotla for 2014 in planning forward for the coming years. First let me take this opportunity to acknowledge and welcome the newly appointed Provincial Heads. These appointments came at the right time when leadership was needed to stabilise the institution that is the IPID.

As the ministry, we have noted the concerns of the Portfolio Committee on Police in relation to the many vacancies that existed prior to your appointment. As a ministry we are glad that the critical vacancies have been filled.

So, welcome and I hope that you enjoy your stay and that you do your best to ensure that the IPID fulfils its mandate. Let me also commend the Executive Director and his team for moving swiftly to fill the vacancies.

The Vision Statement of the National Development Plan, which is the blueprint for our country, says among other things:

Each community has:

  • A school
  • Teachers who love teaching and learning
  • A local library filled with a wealth of knowledge
  • A librarian
  • A police station with respected and upright police
  • A clinic with nurses who love caring for people
  • In our well designed community surroundings we feel safe everywhere.

That is a vision for South African in 2030. Our emphasis is on “A police station with respected and upright police” and being in “community surroundings where we feel safe everywhere”.

Achieving the abovementioned vision is a task for us all. When we look back at that time, will we say we have contributed to the achievement of the National Development Plan? What we do today will influence our future and the future of South Africans who come after us.

Our government places accountability at the core of its work. The IPID is a prime example of an accountability mechanism put in place by this democratic government, which is committed to the Constitution and the values it espouses.

That is why it has spearheaded the development and the passing of the IPID Act to ensure that the IPID has a clear mandate and that recommendations made by it are not ignored as was the case in the past.

The IPID Act places stringent obligations on the South African Police Service and the Municipal Police Services. These obligations relate to the reporting of matters that must be investigated by the IPID and the implementation of disciplinary recommendations.

In formulating our plans for the future, it is important to note that the core mandate of the IPID contributes towards the realization of outcome 3 as adopted by Cabinet in January 2010, namely that: All people in South Africa are and feel safe and secure.

We have no doubt that the strengthened management of the IPID will come up with realistic plans that will help the IPID to contribute towards the realization of this outcome.

The IPID’s role is not merely to investigate and make recommendations. Your role is to bring about the change that is envisioned for our country in the NDP. That is respected and upright police. And an environment where people feel safe everywhere. That is the end-goal that should inform this process.

The IPID Act became operational on 1 April 2012. You have had a full two years and 7 months to implement it. Through such implementation, you would have established an understanding of what sections of the Act work and which ones don’t. Where you identify challenges, you may want to consider amending the legislation.

And, as we are embarking on the campaign of 16 Days for no violence against women and children, the Ministry of Police has taken note of the IPID’s Annual Report where it is indicated that there are 37 rape complaints against police officers in the Western Cape alone between 2012 and 2013.

The IPID Act is unequivocal on the IPID’s investigative mandate to serious matter of rape by a police officer whether on or off duty. The SAPS Executive will then be anticipating a progress report on the succesful completion of all these cases.

The environment in which you work has also changed. During his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on 22 October 2014, the Minister of Finance, announced cuts across the board, which will affect all government departments - some more than others.

The IPID cannot escape the effects of such a reality, especially since we know that you have not reached your full capacity.

The question is: what are you going to do about it? Are you going to lament that you are also facing the cuts or are you going to change and refine your plans and strategies to adapt to the new environment. Leadership calls for precisely that.

The Business Dictionary defines planning as: “A basic management function involving formulation of one or more detailed plans to achieve optimum balance of needs or demands with the available resources”

The planning process

(1) identifies the goals or objectives to be achieved
(2) formulates strategies to achieve them
(3) arranges or creates the means required
(4) implements, directs, and monitors all steps in their proper sequence.

If one looks at that definition we can see that planning is your function as management of the IPID – so we have the right people to undertake this exercise. Also, that you must come up with detailed plans – as they say “the devil is in the detail”.

Bear in mind that you will be assessed based on the detail you put in your plans. Then you must balance the needs or demands with the resources you have been given – now you must then decide what is crucial and what is not given the budget cuts.

Further, you must identify the goals or objectives that are achievable and build strategies to achieve them – this means that you must ask yourselves how your goals align to the goals of the country and the ministry for instance?

Be realistic as to the goals themselves and think about how you will achieve them. You should then structure yourselves in a way that makes it possible to achieve your goals – this means you should look at the people you need to help you achieve your plans.

The final stage is to implement and monitor whether you achieve what you set out to do. If you take such a logic approach then you have a recipe for success. What could derail you from achieving the goals of this lekgotla? Not participating fully in the proceedings will limit your ownership of the process and you may be tempted to disown it in future.

The outcome of this lekgotla will affect each and every one of you. So I urge you to make your view and inputs known. This will only benefit the IPID. The other thing that could derail this exercise is for you as management to be divided. If you are divided you cannot have unity of purpose.

In conclusion, I want to say, it is imperative for the IPID to do its work independently, impartially and without prejudice. Such professionalism will earn the IPID respect from our country’s citizens. We wish you success in your lekgotla and look forward to seeing the outcomes of this process. As a ministry we support your endeavours.

I thank you all.

Enquiries:
Nomsa Hani, Spokesperson: Office of the Deputy Minister of Police
Cell: 082 772 2053
E-mail: HaniNomsa@saps.gov.za

Moses Dlamini
National Spokesman: Independent Police Investigative Directorate
Tel: 012 399 0049
Cell: 082 809 1927 or 082 781 7112
E-mail: mdlamini@ipid.gov.za

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