Programme Director,
Deputy Executive Mayor of Mangaung, Cllr M Siyonzane
Executive Director of IPID, Mr Francois Beukman,
Free State Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lt. Gen Sithole,
All IPID Provincial Heads present here,
Research Institutes and Academics present,
SAPS officials present,
All IPID Staff members,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First and foremost, a special word of gratitude must surely go to the Minister of Police, Mr Nathi Mthethwa, for being rightly adamant and committed in seeing through the work that was started in 2005 by the then Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security.
For, it was this Portfolio Committee that saw the need to strengthen the then Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), by adopting a report that proposed the idea of separate legislation for the ICD. This report amongst others, included these recommendations:
Review the ICD mandate in terms of the Domestic Violence Act,
Remove the monitoring of station audits from the responsibility of the ICD,
Review the necessity for the newly established research unit,
Review the ICD’s role in terms of cell inspections.
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Police, I am thus truly glad that these matters have now been dealt with, in the promulgation of the IPID Act. IPID hereby now focuses on the investigation of serious priority crimes committed by police as the core business of the Directorate; whilst research and DVA responsibilities now reside with the Secretariat of Police.
Passing the IPID Act along with the Civilian Police Secretariat Act 2 of 2011 was not a mistake by the SAPS Leadership.
It was such packaged to show the importance of close cooperation and working together between the IPID and the Civilian Police Secretariat. In this instance, for example, the changed mandate for IPID and Civilian Police Secretariat on the execution of the DVA, becomes imperative.
Even though the research and implementation of the DVA mostly now reside with the Police Secretariat, the exchange of crucial information between the IPID and the Secretariat on transgressed behaviour of police, especially with regard to domestic violence will become fundamental.
I am saying this because as SAPS, we are increasingly faced with rising suicides, aggressive behaviour, and killing of loved ones, by our own police officers. Only last week, we had another Constable killing his girlfriend and himself inside of the police station in Pretoria! This behaviour surely warrants not only intensive research but a thorough investigation on exactly what prompts these types of crimes committed by our police officers.
Thorough investigation by IPID can then only mean a focus on a strong investigative capacity that bodes both commitment and confidence from our IPID investigators. From IPID investigators, we need to see now a work-force with passion, pride and patriotism in their work.
As leadership, we will not tolerate investigators who pitch up for work late; who do not stick to time-lines; who deliver poor quality work; and then expect performance bonuses at the end of the financial year. We only need a work-force that is willing to serve and make a difference for our Department of Police and for our country.
Notwithstanding, the above expectation from us as Leadership of Police, may be very difficult if the IPID Top Management does not manage the issue of transition with strategic diligence. Yes, inevitably, in any organisation that is restructuring, transitional challenges relating to job descriptions will occur.
But, as leadership, we expect the IPID Top Management to instil an attitude of a necessary development of change in all IPID staff members. The transition period will necessitate the development of an organisational change strategy on the part of IPID management. I am thus anticipating then that there is already a strategy in place towards the organisational development of IPID.
A strong organisational development strategy will not instil a clear vision and desired working culture of IPID; it will also radically reshape and reform the role and contribution of IPID Provincial Offices. This was also highlighted in the 2005 Report of the then Parliamentary Portfolio on Safety and Security.
The IPID Provincial Offices should be the active and central hub of the IPID core mandate. That is why even the IPID Act places the primary investigation role at the Provincial offices rather than at National Office. So, it is thus no mistake to appoint all Provincial Heads at Chief Director levels.
As Police Leadership, we are satisfied to see that IPID has already its strategic plan 2012/2017 in place. This plan surely lays the foundation for the activities of the IPID in the coming 5 years. It will also help to provide IPID with clear measurements for evaluating the effectiveness of the IPID in the future.
We are also pleased to notice that IPID has for the past two consecutive financial years, obtained unqualified audit reports. This is indeed in the right direction, because effective administration can only take place if there is proper monitoring and evaluation by a dedicated unit appointed for that purpose.
But, we must say here and now, that, the meeting of IPID Strategic Objectives and the strengthening of financial management and corporate governance squarely lie on the IPID Provincial Heads’ shoulders, and no one else.
If the Executive Director fails in executing the IPID mandate as expected by the President of this country, then it means we have had incompetent Provincial Heads! The Minister of Police won’t tolerate that, and I will surely not tolerate that.
Therefore, the Performance Agreements of all nine Provincial Heads must be stringent in their detail, so that it becomes easy to measure the output and impact of the IPID Provincial Office in each financial year. This is very important because, according to the IPID Act, the Provinces must be the heart of the national IPID operations.
Programme Director, we would also like to emphasise the important role the SAPS Provincial Commissioners will play in the effective execution of the IPID mandate. In close cooperation with the IPID Provincial Heads, all nine SAPS Provincial Commissioners are expected to formulate a communication strategy for all police stations.
All Station Commanders must be thoroughly prepared for the introduction of the IPID as the new structure with a sharpened investigative focus and additional powers. Police officers will be expected to be able to fill in the form of reporting of matter for investigation by IPID, as per IPID Act No 1 of 2011, Section 29 (i).
We are confident that, the IPID Act has set the building blocks in place for the new IPID so that the members of the public can take comfort in the fact that they have recourse to the IPID, where there are cases of police brutality or abuse in the execution of their duties.
The IPID Act has now enabled the new IPID to shift the focus from being a complaints-driven body to one that, in conducting its investigations, addresses systematic problems with the police service, and a body that recommends appropriate interventions.
We are hopeful that these building blocks will be utilised to the maximum, and that the IPID is able to implement the measures that we as Police Leadership and Government want to see put in place as part of its oversight functions.
As you further deliberate in this Conference, please be cognisant that all deliberations taken must always be informed by the notion that, the promotion of police conduct is the strengthening of our constitutional democracy. Therefore, all strategies and resolutions taken here must be constitutional, compassionate, and credible to both the police officer and the member of the public.
I thank you all.
Enquiries
Nomsa Hani
Tel: 012 3934469 or 021 467 7023
Fax: 012 3934614 or 021 4614174
Cell: 082 772 2053
E-mail: HaniNomsa@saps.org.za
