Chairperson
Minister of Police, EN Mthethwa
Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Police, Ms S. Chikunga
National Commissioner of Police, General BH. Cele and your team
Honourable Members of Parliament
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
I am filled with a sense of gratitude to deliver my maiden remarks in my capacity as the Deputy Minister of Police. It could not have been more appropriate than during a year where our President has declared government’s commitment on job creation.
As a ministry that is indirectly responsible for the job creation, we still play a pivotal role in ensuring that we create enabling and safe environments for businesses to flourish, for South Africans to feel safe and secure irrespective of where they are. This is our commitment and our vision.
We are cognizant that the networks of crime have grown in their reach and sophistication across national boundaries. To us, as South Africans, the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ event has once more confirmed our belief in collective effort in the fight against crime.
Chairperson,
The challenges and negative perceptions that were peddled by some negative prophets of doom, those who sought to discourage people of the world that South Africa will not succeed in hosting a secure tournament, have failed. We understood their concerns but we kept our eyes and minds focused on the challenge at hand. While we began in earnest with our preparations, we did not ignore such worries but ensured that we did not get distracted, but remained firmly focused.
Again this negative peddling and negative commentary placed a huge responsibility on our government and people to work doubly harder to ensure the safety of our visitors. In this regard our government and working together with other stakeholders not only developed but delivered the most comprehensive security plan for the event. This is the policing legacy we intend to sustain.
Chairperson,
A number of complaints have been received about the delay in pension payouts. The National Commissioner has undertaken to reduce the period of finalisation to three months and work is already underway to remove the current bottle-necks in the value chain of pension payouts.
This involves other key role players like Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF) and the South African Revenue Service, which will assist in the forward integration of systems to expedite pension payouts.
The National Commissioner also approved an increase in the stipend payable to entry-level police trainees from R1 600 per month to R3 175 per month with effect from 1 October 2010. This substantial increase in the stipend is aimed at improving the quality of life of police trainees and offering an improved incentive to prospective applicants to the SAPS.
Yiyo loonto sisithi xa si recruita amapolisa – sijonge ukuthi umuntu okhuliswe njani, ngokwesimilo uphila njani nabahlali ekuhlaleni. Upupolisa ayi ngomsebenzi nje, lubizo kuba olufunifuna ukuzinekela emsebenzini.
Chairperson, during the 2011/12 financial year, the SAPS will appoint 6 168 entry level police trainees and 1 452 administrative support personnel. The focus of these new appointments is to address capacity shortages in the crime intelligence, criminal record and forensic science services (analysts), detectives and the DPCI environments, to address backlogs in investigations and to improve service delivery. Recruitment of these personnel will specifically focus on quality not quantity.
The SAPS strives to become a career of choice and excellence and not just another job. The SAPS is focusing on moving away from being a single point decision making authority (recruitment done at Head Office), to involving the community in recruitment through structures such as CPFs, relevant non governmental organisations (NGOs), schools, and churches, in order to improve the quality of trainees.
The department will embark on a process of identifying role models within the community who can assist the SAPS in communicating specific messages to the broader community relating to SAPS’ strategic priorities. One way of achieving this would be for the communities to provide information on criminals to police and vice versa for police to be proactive in investigations.
Chairperson, government has been clear in its gender and equity representivity requirements. To this end SAPS will, as part of its transformation drive advance its women empowerment programmes.
Continued efforts will be made to promote gender equity by developing and appointing women in management posts. In addition we will endeavour to achieve the two percent target of people with disabilities.
The ministry has complied with Section 20 of the Employment Equity Act, 1998 (Act No 55 of 1998) as it has achieved a national gender ratio of 67.7% / 32.3%, as at February 2011. The improving of the gender ratio, has however, been prioritised by the National Commissioner who has instructed top management at all levels to ensure the continuous improving of the gender equity ratio as a matter of utmost priority.
As the leadership of police, we believe there are lots of capable women within the department and we shall continue to drive women advancement through the SAPS Women’s Network. Our firm belief is premised from a reality that, we have the caliber of such officers, we have the resources and importantly, we have a will and a desire to succeed. It must be used to advance women in their endeavors of reducing crime and accelerating poverty alleviation.
We also need to take this opportunity to highlight the SAPS’ endeavours to move towards 50% women leadership. As the Minister pointed out, we need to ensure increased representation of women in operational and specialised environments. This is a duty that must be carried by the management of this department. As the leadership we remain confident that it will be achieved.
Chairperson, in order to ensure collaboration amongst departments in the JCPS cluster, SAPS, must continue to ensure active participation in the interdepartmental forums which have been established across various spheres of government.
To mention but a few, SAPS teams are active in task teams dealing with child justice, sexual offences, child care and protection, child labour, human trafficking, domestic violence, restorative justice, victim empowerment, social crime prevention forums and community safety.
The SAPS is finalising a Youth Crime Prevention Manual which will guide police stations on the partnerships they need to engage in order to ensure young people build resilience and resistance against crime.
The partnership between the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the SAPS continued in the course of 2010/11 and resulted in a draft protocol between the two departments being developed. The School Safety programme addresses both the immediate safety concerns of school communities and provides a platform for SAPS to contribute to education as a long term investment, in safe and sustainable communities.
New offences such as those relating to sexual activities of consenting under-aged children, grooming of children, engaging the sexual services of adults, trafficking for sexual purposes are examples of matters that require consolidated efforts. The SAPS will also continue to participate in the process led by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for monitoring the implementation of the Child Justice Act.
Continued support will be provided to the Department of Social Development on the Drug Demand Reduction Programme. This programme involves all departments and targets communities, parents, young people and other networks of support to people who are vulnerable to the abuse of substances. It is aimed at reducing drug and substance abuse.
SAPS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA) which focuses on service delivery improvement at Community Service Centres and 10111 Centres.
Other business communities continue to assist SAPS in the fight against crime by sponsoring crime related projects, for example, Crime Reporting Boards, Soul City, Prime Media, Vodacom, etc. We all have an obligation to deal with the perception of crime and build a positive image of SAPS.
Likewise, since the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, communities now believe that we have the ability to deal with crime in South Africa. These positive perceptions by our people, especially in rural areas, are supported by the consistent decrease in many areas of crime, including murder and aggravated robbery.
We as SAPS need to speak to the crime statistics, patterns and tendencies and decreases in crime within the context of where communities live. We can no longer dare to generalize about crime levels as if South Africa is unsafe no matter where we as communities live or travel.
We must provide speedy reaction to the needs of our communities and provide them with prompt feedback regarding their cases. We will show that we as an organisation which exists for the good of others, will live up to this promise, take care of those who fall victims of crime and deal harshly with criminal elements, even within our ranks.
We must recognise the excellent work of the majority of our police officers, who daily put their lives at risk for each one of us in the interest of safety. Our efforts of rooting out corrupt and criminal individuals in our organisation will intensify.
As government we have a compelling obligation to put crime in South Africa into the right perspective, and to keep our communities informed on the efforts by government to provide for safer communities and having people feel safe.
Working together with communities we trust that we will have safe and successful elections.
I thank you.
Enquiries:
Zweli Mnisi
Tel: 012 393 4341 or 021 467 7007
Fax: 012 393 2833
Cell: 082 045 4024
E-mail: zwelim@saps.org.za
Source: South African Police Service
