Speaker notes by the National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega: Signing of agreement between the SAPS and the CSIR, CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, Gauteng
The CEO of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr Sibisi and your team,
South African Police Service (SAPS) Deputy National Commissioners
Divisional Commissioners present,
Distinguished guests,
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
A very good afternoon to you. I am very pleased to be here with you. We as an organization, in spite of all the challenges, continue to strive for excellence in terms of our core mandate. We must continually enhance our ability to respond quickly, smartly and effectively to challenges. This is a step, amongst many, in that direction.
The signing of this agreement is a critical milestone in the journey of transforming the SAPS. We will cooperate and obtain expertise in all areas of policing including technologies, research, procurement and skills development.
CSIR is already working together with various Government Departments including the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). So, in a way this is a long overdue marriage, which we are very pleased about.
We entered 2014 on a very high note, excited about the positive contribution that we as the SAPS continuously want to make to the wellbeing of the citizens of this country, because our organization needs to be relevant, competitive, efficient and professional. We acknowledge that we can do more.
Since 1994, the high levels of violent crime have received considerable attention considering its impact on feelings of safety and security in a developmental state. However, during the same period, the opening up of South Africa’s borders and the rapid developments in technology, prompted a need to access scientific and engineering expertise to support both the operational and strategic components in responding and ensuring national safety and security.
This meant that the country became more vulnerable to organised crime and cybercrime. The sustained pace of globalization and significant advances in Information Communication Technology (ICT) after 1994 have increased the risk factors for South Africans falling victim to cybercrime. It is these developments that have prompted us to dig deep and come up with ways that will address such developments. We have finally come here with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to complete a memorandum of agreement that will create the much needed institutional framework for the SAPS to have direct access to a scientific, engineering and technology base to support both the operational and strategic components of our policing, ensuring the national safety and security of our people.
We understand that a synergised, collective effort is needed in order to achieve a safer South Africa. As I have highlighted earlier on, despite the challenges, our aim is to spearhead the SAPS in the right direction that we, the rest of the country and the world will be proud of. We have no doubt that collaborations of this nature will play a pivotal role in addressing the areas that we may seem to fall short on.
It is a new year, and we must continue working hard at rooting out crime, which of course must start within the SAPS. Research that aims at defining the causes of crime, as well as how we use research, science and technology will enable us to stay ahead of crime syndicates. In broad terms crime proliferates where there is a combination of societal problems such as poverty and inequality, creating a society that is particularly vulnerable to victimisation. Chief executive officer of the CSIR, Dr Sibisi, thank you and the CSIR for understanding the underlying significance of such an endeavour.
You have said yourself sir, that this partnership will offer the SAPS a great wealth of multidisciplinary science and research to support smart planning, smart use of technology and management and will ultimately result in ‘smart policing’. This will ensure that skills and expertise are transferred to SAPS members to support their technical skills and capabilities.
Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that this partnership will live up to what is expected of it and add value to our fight against crime. With the CSIR and the community at large, we have to continue to identify threats within the communities and across our borders that create a climate of fear and social disorder, so that all the inhabitants of this beautiful country can live in safety.
Thank you.
