Honourable Speaker and Deputy Speaker;
Honourable Premier of our Province, Ms Sylvia Lucas;
Honourable Members of the Executive Council;
Honourable Members of the Provincial Legislature;
Executive Mayors and Speakers;
Director General of the Northern Cape province;
Provincial Commissioner and the Collective of SAPS Management;
The Head of the Department and senior officials;
Stakeholders in the Transport and Safety fraternity;
Veterans of our beloved movement;
Religious and Community leaders;
Representatives of Political parties;
Representatives from Labour Unions;
Representatives from various media houses;
Government Officials;
Distinguished guests;
Fellow citizens of the Northern Cape;
Ladies and gentlemen.
It is with great sense of humility and absolute honour to be standing here to appraise and reflect on the impeccable work that our government has delivered during 2015/2016 as a key mandate to the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison in the Northern Cape. We will also be presenting new commitments in this policy statement for 2016/2017.
I must hasten to indicate that our work will never end until the masses of our people are completely free from abject poverty, increasing unemployment, growing inequality and conditions of squalor. Although with each milestone reached in delivering services to our people, the collective conscious effort and commitment of officials in the Department is sufficient to propel us to strive to do more in the future as well better than our yesterday.
Honourable Speaker, the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison has the responsibility of leading the creation and coordination of safe, secure and sustainable transport and policing system for a crime-free Northern Cape Province an ideal we must never falter to achieve. This, I must emphasise, is an important task and we dare not fail in the pursuit of this ultimate goal.
This policy statement will not only highlight our key achievements in reaching our central mandate as a Department but will also not abdicate our responsibility to reflect challenges still facing our people that we will be compelled to take on in this financial year.
Reflections on 2015/2016 budget commitments
Honourable Speaker, please allow me the opportunity to reflect on progress made during our 2015/16 Budget and Commitments made.
Our budget allocation for the 2015/16 financial year was geared towards improving the lives of our people through service delivery anchored on developmental projects, job creation initiatives and creating a safer province for all to live in and enjoy.
With focus being on service delivery, to ensure that our people benefit from government services, our budget allocation was R306, 068millions and 99% of this budget was well spent. The Department made 41 commitments in the previous financial year, 35 commitments were achieved and 6 partially achieved.
We achieved the goal to pay 99% of our service providers within 10 days. We would have been able to achieve 100% but due to inconsistent service providers’ details on our system unfortunately we could not. We also managed to exceed the Provincial Target of 75% procurement within the Province by procuring 85% of our goods within the Province, which is another achievement in empowering our people.
Due to protracted challenges with collection of revenue, on motor vehicle licence renewals, the Province has decided to move the function from municipalities to the South African Post Office.
The project will be implemented on a phased in approach, with the first 10 Municipalities being identified based on the gravity of matters this will be rolled out by June 2016. Depending on how quickly the initial stage is successfully implemented, we shall then roll out the rest of the sites, preferably by March 2017.
Honourable Speaker, in trying to improve our overall function of the department by identifying, assessing and managing risk the Department has established the Risk Management Unit on August 1st, 2015, with a senior manager appointed, as the Chief Risk Officer, a function previously under the Directorate: Policy & Planning. The Unit is in the process of being beefed up with skilled and competent staff.
The Department received unqualified audit reports, for the 2012/13 and 2013/14 financial periods. The 2013/14 audit report had only one (1) matter of emphasis, namely, irregular expenditure, caused by expired learner transport services contracts.
Under 2014/15, the audit report was qualified, with four qualifications paragraphs, namely:
- Irregular Expenditure;
- Contractual Commitments;
- Employee Benefits;
- Transfer Payments.
Necessary corrective steps have been taken to clear the matters.
The audit findings and corrections thereof have all been handled with better appreciation. This process of rectification is progressing relatively well per finding as the standings have been accordingly reported to, and extensively interrogated by the departmental management and Audit Committee.
Relections and appraisal on programme 1
Corporate services
Honourable Speaker, we are well aware that through investment in our officials, it is value on service delivery and capacity building for the Province and country. I am pleased to report that we were able to invest;
- 51 members of our staff received bursaries to sharpen their skills and broaden their knowledge in pursuit of the developmental mandate of the Department,
- 35 of our officials are still studying and 16 have completed their studies,
- Twenty-seven (27) officials have successfully completed their short courses,
- 83 officials have also concluded their skills programmes; and
- A further 123 officials were trained and successfully completed various Skills Programmes.
We are also proud to announce that as a department, we have amended our bursary policy to cater for external members of the public focusing on scarce skills.
The process of reviewing the Departmental organogram is still underway and we are committed to complete the process during this financial year, taking into account budget cuts and reprioritisation.
Relections and appraisal on Programme 2
Civilian oversight
Honourable speaker, we are all well aware of the excitement and preparations of the upcoming local government elections and to show the Province’s readiness, monitoring and evaluation in Northern Cape Public Order units has already been conducted.
Through our Civilian Oversight Directorate, research was conducted on the Policing Priorities at fifteen [15] priority police stations in the Province aimed at determining the communities’ expectation towards the SAPS.
The research indicated that, communities expect SAPS to improve policing, reaction time, feedback on cases and they must address services and violent crimes, and tackle substance abuse. Another outcome is for SAPS members to be more professional at all times and treat communities with respect and dignity.
Honourable Speaker, evaluations were conducted on the Special Project on SAPS Rapid Response Service at fourteen [14] police stations to determine the turn-around time of police stations and Flying Squad Unit, in responding to complaints reported. All provinces worked on a prescribed National Monitoring Tool on the special project; its findings and outcomes will be done by the National Secretariat of Police. We are awaiting the outcome.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) consultative forum established during 2015/2016, is fully functional and is being facilitated and monitored by the Civilian Oversight unit in the Department.I am pleased to announce that there was compliance by SAPS with the implementation of IPID Recommendations. The Department also established the Provincial Domestic Violence Act Compliance Forum during 2015/2016, with SAPS.
Honourable Speaker, further achievements recorded by the Department include:
- Seventy five (75) Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) safety volunteers were successfully recruited and placed at the focused police stations in the Province, together with the Community Policing Forum to execute social crime prevention programmes at police stations.
- Two (2) community safety forums were established with continual evaluation at Ubuntu, Emthanjeni and Port Nolloth municipalities to address crime at local level.
- Community Policing Forums at cluster level were inducted in the Province by SAPS and the Department.
- SAPS training unit produced a CPF Training manual which is now being subjected to accreditation.
Reflections and appraisal on Programme 3
Transport operations
Honourable Speaker, in a bid to create and coordinate safe, secure and sustainable transport systems for the Province we have subsidized Public Transport, provided learner transport across the Province and reached our most remote rural areas in need of transport.
The Department currently fairies 23 999 children on a monthly basis across the Province and a total of 350 bicycles were distributed to schools across the Province with 27 Animal Drawn Carts distributed during the 2015/16 financial year, focusing on remote rural areas of the Province to enable mobility for our people.
The Minister of Transport, Mme Dipuo Peters further handed out a 100 Bicycles, during the Torch of Peace ceremony in Frances Baard
Honourable Speaker, this means from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016, 450 Bicycles were distributed.
In further responding to this mandate the Department held a Taxi Indaba and a programme of action was developed together with the taxi industry stakeholders and its implementation will be monitored on a quarterly basis.
Noting the importance on the development and access to opportunities for our youth in the Province, during October Transport Month, a Transport Career Expo for the Girl Child was held in Upington. A total of 431 learners attended the Expo from 18 schools together with 17 Transport Stakeholders that provided various exhibitions in relation to career opportunities, bursaries and internships in the transport sector such as aviation, maritime and rail.
Honourable Speaker, according to SANTACO, taxis transport approximately 15-million commuters daily and this consists of 60 to 70% of the commuting public and workforce.
SANTACO as the representative body of the Taxi Industry has decided to find solutions to this problem (unnecessary road accidents). Hlokomela is therefore a response from SANTACO and the Taxi Industry to try to reduce and eliminate unnecessary road accidents and being actively involved in Road Safety initiatives as an industry. During the 2015/16 Financial Year, Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison financially empowered SANTACO with over R2 million.
The Department of Transport also assisted SANTACO Northern Cape Provincial Taxi Council financially to host the Provincial Reporting Conference (Annual General Meeting) during June 2015.
The taxi industry responds to the transport needs of the poorest of the poor, as it reaches routes right where our people stay but more needs to be done to increase access, safe, reliable transport in the whole of the Province.
Honourable Speaker, The Provincial Regulatory Entity which presides (amongst others) over Taxi licences is implementing a turnaround strategy to improve the efficiency, reliability and integrity of the system and announcement on the progress made on the moratorium will be made in due course.
Relections and appraisal on Programme 3
Transport regulations
Honourable Speaker, to keep our transport stakeholders abreast on burning transport issues in the province and in the country, the Department hosted the Road Traffic Infringement Agency’s (RTIA) “Sihamba ne AARTO” Provincial Roadshows in preparation for the national rollout of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) Act.
The AARTO Provincial Roadshow’s primary objective held with stakeholders was to educate motorists and road users at large on the implementation plan and processes of the AARTO Act, to ensure that all role players understand their rights and responsibilities.
I have to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of our traffic officers in ensuring safety on our roads and the road safety team for their road safety campaigns throughout the year as Road Safety is a 365 Days Campaign. During festive seasons, the Easter weekend and public holidays when most embark on various journeys and spend time with their family, they are out in full force to ensure safer roads for everyone.
In an effort to enhance our Law Enforcement Unit’s operations:
- Eighteen (18) fully marked patrol vehicles were procured for traffic law enforcement and distributed at various traffic station at hazardous locations such as Upington, Springbok, Jan Kempdorp, Kimberley and Olifantshoek
- Our radio communication system has been upgraded and state of the art hand radios procured,
- To address the issue of speeding in our province, ten (10) Pro Laser Eight
Speed Machines were distributed across all provincial traffic stations and are being used on our national roads, - In a bid to curb the challenge of driving under the influence of alcohol in the province, 101 alcohol screening devices were procured and distributed across all stations to address the challenge.
Honourable Speaker, Road Traffic operations have yielded much success with:
- 203 750 vehicles stopped and checked
- 1 735 speed operations conducted
- 45 556 vehicles weighed
- 1 168 drunken driving operations conducted
- 168 road safety awareness programmes conducted
- 102 schools involved in road safety education programmes
As a Province, we are well on track to decrease road fatalities in the Province and contribute towards the Decade of Action 2011 to 2020 target for the country.
South African Police Service commitments 2015/16
Honourable Speaker, there has been some major progress in the SAPS, and we acknowledge and thank the men and women in blue for their efforts in keeping our communities safe.
Looking at capacity building in the Provincial SAPS:
- Three hundred and fifty two (352) Police Act entry level posts were advertised;
- Ninety four (94) Public Service Act entry level posts were filled;
- One hundred and fifty eight (158) vehicles were purchased;
- Generators were installed in fifteen (15) police stations;
Seventy (70) members from Detective Services were trained on the following courses:
- Eleven (11) on the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS);
- Three (3) on the Detective Commanders Learning Programme (DCLP);
- Fifty two (52) on the Revolving of Crime (ROC); and
- Four (4) on Stock Theft;
- Six hundred and ninety six (696) members were trained in courses regarding women and children;
- The Anti-Corruption Unit was capacitated by appointing five (5) members under the Police Act and two (2) members under the Public Service Act;
Honourable members, law and order remains important and we are proud of the success reached by our police force as they have made strides but we are also not oblivious of the tasks ahead and the following should be commended:
- One hundred and forty one (141) persons were arrested for stock theft;
- Twenty nine (29) persons were arrested for reckless and negligent driving;
- Six hundred and eighty (680) persons were arrests on crime dependent on police action;
- Twenty five (25) licensed premises were closed down;
- One hundred and seventy two (172) unlicensed liquor premises were closed down; and
- One hundred and thirty two (132) unlicensed liquor traders were charged;
- A new Public Order Policing (POP) unit with fourteen (14) members was established in Kuruman and members were officially deployed on 2 February 2016; and
- Members were also deployed on four (4) Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (SARPCO) operations;
- Six hundred and eighty four (684) operations and twenty eight (29) roadblocks were conducted;
- Four hundred and ninety four (494) arrests were effected at Border Posts and Borderline;
- Recoveries in the Ports of Entry environment amounted to almost R6 million including fines issued for J534;
- Fifty nine (59) illegal immigrants were arrested for not having travel documentation;
- Thirteen (13) service delivery protests were policed in the Province during the 2015/2016 financial year at a cost of R5.7 million.
In further advancing the fight against crime several awareness campaigns were held in the Province focusing on women, youth, substance abuse and crimes within our communities.
New commitments 2016/2017
Honourable Members, please grant me the opportunity to now reflect on the priorities the Department has set for the 2016/2017 financial year. We are ready as a Department to continue to roll our sleeves and work towards “moving South Africa Forward” in providing services to our people.
Our total budget allocation for 2016/2017 stands at R 366, 97million, a growth of 6.85% from the 2015/2016 budget allocation.
- Compensation of employees is R141, 7million.
- Goods and services for normal operations is allocated R166, 9million.
This item includes an amount of R121, 5 million in respect of payment to learner transport bus operators. - Transfer payments is allocated R50, 4 million, which consist of payment for Public Transport to the value of R48, 2 million and transfer to a non-profit organization to the value of R2, 2 million.
- Capital expenditure is R3, 8million.
There is a further allocation awarded to the Department for conditional grants focusing on Expanded Public Works Programme with an incentive grant of R2.9million, and an allocation of R49million in respect of the Public Transport Operations Grant for subsidized bus fares to our communities.
Programme 1 – Administration is allocated R 73,6million
This will enable support and ensure the smooth functioning of the Department in achieving its goal of rendering effective, efficient and sustainable services.
In this financial year, we are working towards achieving these new set commitments:
- Extending the bursary policy to include underprivileged members of the public with an estimated 10% of the budget set aside depending on the annual approved budget for external bursaries.
- The verification of qualifications, skills audit and placement in the Department.
The Department is spearheading a programme for record and information security, in the Province. The project began in January 2016, and we shall report on progress, in this regard.
Programme 2 - Civilian Oversight
The Programme has been allocated R21, 7million
The budget will assist the Programme in achieving its goals of creating a safe and secure environment in the Northern Cape.
The Provincial Crime Prevention Strategy 2015 term ended on 31 March 2016 and the Department is leading a process to review the impact of the strategy 2015 as well as to develop strategy 2022. In order to obtain a collective input, a Provincial Crime Prevention Summit will be convened during this financial year 2016/2017.
The Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison will facilitate, coordinate and guide integrated Social Crime Prevention programmes throughout the Province to deal with the root causes of crime.
During Safety and Security Month 2016, the Department launched a campaign under the theme “create a safer environment for our children”. This campaign aims to raise awareness on dangers of unused items and appliances which may affect the safety of children and members of our communities that should be removed from communities. This campaign will be sustained in the 2016/17 financial year and communities will be mobilized to take ownership of the program in other Districts.
In order to assess the community’s perceptions on their safety and contributing factors towards crime in their neighbourhoods, community satisfaction surveys (will) be conducted at focused police stations. These surveys will be conducted at precincts where there is an increase in crime or breakdown in police community relations or trust in the police.
In order to enhance the integration of community safety responses at a local level, the Department (will) facilitate and guide processes, in collaboration with SALGA, COGSTA and Local Government, to establish Community Safety Forums at local level.
A total of 82 EPWP participants have been appointed to deal with social crime prevention projects and have been placed at 35 high crime focused police stations to implement social crime prevention projects. These projects will be focusing on anti-substance abuse, prevention of violence against vulnerable groupings and community mobilization in the fight against crime.
The Civilian Oversight will also ensure the SAPS compliance on IPID recommendations of criminal cases against members of the SAPS. The Department continue to ensure the ability of SAPS to investigate service delivery complaints and give feedback to the communities.
Programme 3 - Transport Operations
The Programme has been allocated R 138, 7million.
The Programme plays an integral part in enabling an effective efficient and safe transport system in the Province.
In this financial year, the programme will focus on:
- The Department will move with greater effort on the two Transport Infrastructure Projects namely the Port Nolloth/Boegoe Bay Harbour Development and the De Aar Warehouse, registered as PPP projects with National Treasury and new investment brought on board.
- Assist all local municipalities with Integrated Transport Plans from this year onwards, starting with the 10 identified municipalities. The process will be completed in the next 2years.
- Strengthen the monitoring of learner transport through the appointment of the 40 EPWPs in the Frances Baard, Namaqualand, Pixley ka Seme, ZF Mgcawu and John Taolo Gaetsewe Districts.
- Ensure, through the Scholar Transport Committee comprising of our department, the Department of Education and the Provincial Treasury, that the rate paid to Scholar Transport operators is improved.
- Distributing 300 and more Shova Kalula Bicycles to learners for the 2016/2017 financial year.
- Strengthen the maintenance of distributed Shova Kalula bicycles to learners, through the use of learnerships to perform the maintenance of these bicycles
- Empower Santaco and Santaco Women Desk in Northern Cape by encouraging and helping them to form co-operatives.
- Focus on the development of Public Transport Plans (PTP) in those areas that already have Public Transport Services.
- Assisting bigger municipalities to access financial assistance in the development of the Public Transport Plans (PTPs) and focus on ensuring that their PTPs are in line with the expectation of the department.
- Improve efficiency and effectiveness of the National Land Transport Information System and explore the possibility of decentralization.
Programme 4 – Transport Regulations
The Programme has been allocated R80, 9 million.
Honourabel Speaker, the programme is key in the Province in positively contributing towards the reduction of road crashes and fatalities on the global roads by 2020. This will be achieved through effective promotion, coordination and implementation of road traffic strategies. It is also key in managing the process of vehicle registration and licencing.
In order to bring services closer to communities, a new DLTC will be opened in Galeshewe while we have 8 existing ones in: Kleinsee, Rietfontein, Barkly West, Danielskuil, Pofadder, Carnarvon, Fraserburg and Sutherland.
A feasibility study will be conducted for the establishment of a Traffic Training College in the Province.
Honourable Speaker, this year we will also launch a project for the safety of homeless children, led by our newly established unit focusing on Special Programmes.
SAPS Commiments
Speaker, three hundred and fifty two (352) recruits will go for basic training at SAPS Training Academies from 3 April 2016.
- One (1) post for a Forensic Social Worker will be advertised and filled in 2016/17 financial year.
- Increased multidisciplinary approach will be embarked upon through intelligence driven operations in order to be able to reduce reported crimes by 2% and an additional POP Units will be implemented within the Province.
Finally honourable members, we will be strengthening our structured relations with all key stakeholders including the SAPS, Community Police Forums, Sanwit, Santaco, other taxi associations and organs of people’s power fighting crime in our communities.
Let me further take this opportunity to reiterate our call to communities towards ensuring safer roads for all by taking responsibility for road safety. Let us remember that road safety is everyone’s responsibility, so let us abide by the rules of the road, exercise patience and be responsible road users.
In conclusion Honourable Speaker, I would like to thank the Premier of the Northern Cape and the African National Congress and my colleagues in the Executive for their continued support.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank the Acting Head of the Department, the Provincial Commissioner, Management of our department, SAPS for their sterling work and our various stakeholders.
A special word of thanks to my family for their continued support in the duties entrusted to me by our glorious movement, the African National Congress.
Let me close with a quote from the late father of our nation, Tata Nelson Mandela
“We are going forward. I have spoken about freedom in my entire lifetime. Your struggles, your commitment and your discipline have released me to stand before you today. The basic principles will propel us to a free, non-racial, democratic, united South Africa that we have struggled and died for.”
Indeed the struggle for a peaceful and just world continues.
Honourable Speaker, we hereby table the Budget of the Department for the financial year 2016/17.
Enkosi!
Ke a leboga!
Baie dankie!
I thank you!
