Key Note Remarks by the Deputy Minister of Police, Hon. Ms Makhotso Maggie Sotyu (MP) at the IPID MANCO meeting and strategic review session
Acting Executive Director: Mr K.I. Kgamanyane
Programmer Managers
Provincial Heads
Ladies and gentlemen
I am honored to be with you today when you will be finalising the direction with which you want to take IPID to in line with the Strategic objectives of the Department.
In its fourth year of existence, Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) can tap itself on the back for a number of important milestones achieved in this short space of time.
And, as the SAPS Leadership, we remain zealously committed to cleaning up the police service through strong internal oversight, which police management must exercise.
Equally, through a strong external oversight in the form of IPID, we have been able to arrest those whose actions shame the Police badges and uniforms. We welcome the swift actions taken by the IPID and SAPS Management in recent incidents, where, for example, 7 former police officers have been found guilty for the violent death of Mido Macia.
Ladies and gentlemen, as a woman, a mother, and a Deputy Minister of Police I have a burning interest on issues related to women empowerment.
Since we are in women’s month, I took time to look at the performance of the department and I have noticed with great interest that the department is on 48% with regards to employment of women in Senior Management Service (SMS) positions.
This indicates that the department is moving towards achieving its target of 50% outlined in the Annual Performance Plan (APP) of the department. We can only hope that the 50% target required in the APP will be met by the end of financial year 2015/16.
At the opening of the first democratic parliament in 1994, President Mandela said that: "Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression... our endeavors must be about the liberation of the woman, the emancipation of the man and the liberty of the child."
South Africa as a young democracy showed fruitful improvements on women empowerment and recognition. Statistics on women appointed to senior positions in the public sector speak for themselves.
For instance, women make up almost 40 per cent of the SMS in the public service. Acting Executive Director, investigations are still mostly a male dominated environment, though.
However, I have noted with excitement a number of women investigators within the Department who have excelled and secured lengthy sentences.
To name a few, not in any particular order is, Ms Sherene Lett from Eastern Cape Province with a sentence of 20 years imprisonment for murder, Ms Taaibah Samuels with 22 years sentence for rape and Ms Thenjiwe Matela from Free State office with life imprisonment for each of the two police officers on a count of rape.
I wish to acknowledge and congratulate as well Mr Ratz Rathanllal from Gauteng office for securing 3 life sentences and 307 years for each of the 5 accused police officers.
Ladies and gentleman let me further take this opportunity to applaud provinces that have met targets thus far from the 1st April 2015 to 31st July 2015 in Programme 2.
All in all, I am informed that the department has a success of 32 convictions on criminal matters and 33 convictions on departmental thus far and I believe it is a good start for the organisation.
However, I will also like to encourage IPID Management to do an internal performance audit and look at developing a turnaround strategy that will be implemented in order to address the identified barriers and non-performance areas within Programme 2.
It should be noted that Programme 2 is the main driver of the IPID mandate. Our expected annual target on all decision ready cases is 58%, the department managed to obtain 24% in quarter one (1).
The annual target for cases that have allocated and registered within 72 hours is 90%, the department managed to get 90% during quarter one (1). The department should strive to improve with regards to the vacancy rate that is currently at 16%.
Let us also make sure that our IPID’s personnel is happy and supported at all costs and that we profile the work of the directorate through the media so that we enhance trust and support from the people of South Africa.
And this can only be achieved if IPID is always proactive rather than being reactive in implementing its programmes. This will for sure strengthen the mandate of the IPID, that must continue to ensure that police officers who commit crimes and corruption as identified by the IPID Act, are always prosecuted effectively in the courts.
I thank you all!
