Honourable Deputy Minister of Department of Trade and Industry Mzwandile Masina,
Ryland Fisher, Editor, Associate Publisher, Vision 2030
Jimmy Manyi, President, Progressive Professionals Forum
Graeme Bloch, Education Analyst, Witswatersrand University’s School of Governance
Tshepo Motsepe, Co – Head, Equal Education Gauteng
Mugwena Maluleke, General Secretary, South African Democratic Teachers Union
Eric Stillerman, CEO, London School of Business SA and Nat growth and Investment Corp
Artie Phatlane, COO, London School of Business SA and Natgrowth Growth and Investment Corp
Martin Mohale, Managing Director, Tongaat Hulett Sugar
Thabo Ramashala, Director: Plant Production, The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Vuyokazi Felicity Mahlati, Commissioner, National Planning Commission (NPC)
Mduduzi Shabane, Director General, Department of Rural Development and Land Reform
Nosipho Ngcaba, Director – General, Department of Environmental Affairs
Tom Moyane, Commissioner, SARS
Xola Skosana, Chairperson, Cape Town Interfaith Initiative
Nonkululeko Msomi, Director General, Department of justice and correctional services*
Alice Puoane, Acting CEO, Brand SA
Malegapuru William Makgoba, National Planning Commission (NPC)
All protocol observed:
Ladies and gentlemen: it is a great pleasure to be among you today. It is an honour to be invited on such an important gathering. It is in these types of gatherings where we take stock of where we come from, what has been done and what needs to be done going forward. Chapter 12 of the National Development Plan (NDP) envisions people living in South Africa must feel safe and have no fear of crime. People are safe at home, at school, at work, and enjoy an active community life free of fear. Women can walk freely in the streets and children can play freely outside.
The police service is a well-resourced professional institution staffed with highly skilled officers who value their work, serve the community, safeguard lives and property without discrimination, protect the peaceful marches against violence and respect the rights of all to equality and justice. Some may argue that this vision is too tall to reach. In the SAPS we believe our actions will see us move closer and closer to this vision.
Ladies and gentlemen: in our country the supreme law of our country our noble Constitution forms an integral part of how we live with one another as citizens of this country. Words like openness, responsiveness and accountability are adamant in our Constitution. This therefore emphasises the importance of ensuring that we as government officials must respond to the people we serve. In line with the South African plan referred to as the National Development Plan (NDP), the SAPS is well on its way aligning its activities to the plan.
Almost twelve months ago we launched our new integrity and community based recruitment process. The new way of recruiting is a response to police officers who are serving but have criminal records. Some of them came to the SAPS with criminal records. In addressing this challenge we have introduced as part of the new recruitment process:
- As part of the final selection process, prospective applicants complying with all criteria will undergo a final selection by means of a “grooming camp”, where the cream of the crop will be selected.
- A community-orientated recruitment and selection process, intended to eliminate risks in terms of corruption, nepotism and discrimination. Local community-based organisations such as Community Policing Forums, schools and churches are consulted about applicants who are to be enlisted, before a final decision is taken as to their eligibility.
- Names will be published in local newspapers for everyone to see and have a say.
- Successful candidates will be presented to the community in the form of a parade, before reporting to the SAPS Training Academies. The community will be afforded the opportunity to give input on the eligibility of candidates.
- After this, Provincial Police and Community Recruitment Boards will go through each and every application to satisfy themselves that this thorough process has been followed before sending the names to me for final approval.
This is all to ensure that, we never again, shall any person enter the SAPS whilst having a criminal record. We cannot fight crime dirty. This is to ensure that no one should pay any one to be employed by the SAPS. We have to be clean so we can be seen as a legitimate organisation committed to rooting out crime in our communities.
Ladies and gentlemen: we have also looked at integration of the Criminal Justice System (CJS). This is where we look to realign the Government structures accordingly.
- Ministerial Cluster
- IMSC
- Drug Master Plan
- DG Cluster
- NICOC
- BCOCC (BMA)
- NATJOINTS
- IJS Development Committee
- IJS Board
- CJS Revamp
- Integrated training and development (MoU with DoJCD)
- Electronic tagging (MoU with DCS)
- ACTT - Anti-Corruption Working Group
- JCPS Strategic Planning Forum (Transversal Projects)
- National Efficiency Forum (CJS optimisation)
- Domestic Violence Projects (Partnership with DSD)
- FOSAD Transversal Indicators
- School Safety Project (MoU with Basic Education)
- Further Education and Training (MoU with DHET)
- Sexual Offences Forum Child Pornography (MoU with the Films and Publications Board) – KINSA Project.
The partnership between the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the South African Police Service can be seen as a collaborative effort to ensure that police officials observe the correct rules and procedures when performing their duties. This move is a response to the increased community protests which has compelled us to train more public order police so more police officers cab be able to deal with violent and non-violent protests as first responders. We have also announced previously that we are increasing the capacity of our Public Order Policing units throughout the country.
This partnership will ensure that the SAHRC monitors our conduct closely in this regard and I am sure that all communities will be reassured by this move and will acknowledge the good intent of SAPS management in moving closer towards the NDP plan. We have forged an important partnership signing an MOU with Statistics South Africa that will enhance the quality of the data we produce. The data we produce should at all times be a reflection of reality. Our collaboration will go a long way in addressing the negative perception about the integrity of the SAPS’s crime statistics. Unfounded accusations of the ‘manipulation of crime statistics’ will soon be a thing of the past.
The Criminal Law (Forensic Procedures) Amendment Act, 2013 (Act no 37 of 2013) commonly referred to as the “DNA Act”, came into effect on 31 January 2015. The Act ensures that the creation of the National Forensic DNA Database of South Africa will function effectively, not only as a tool for gathering incriminating evidence, but also for gathering evidence, to eliminate suspects and to safeguard against wrongful convictions or other miscarriages of justice.
On 27 January 2015, the Minister of Police appointed the Forensic Oversight and Ethical Board. The Board will monitor the implementation of the “DNA Act” regarding the attendance and processing of crime scenes, the collection and storage of exhibit material and DNA samples, the performance of the Forensic Science Laboratory and the National Forensic DNA Database of South Africa. We will continue to work with willing role-players in the forensic field because this we win or lose cases.
Ladies and gentlemen: in support of this noble initiative the SAPS is involved in an on-going drive to raise awareness in schools, churches and other institutions around the country, the FCS is involved in several community programmes including the nationwide Adopt-a-School project – where four SAPS members are assigned to a school and are charged with raising awareness amongst the teachers and learners on issues like child abuse and exploitation.
The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) is also leading an outreach programme in Diepsloot, Gauteng, where young parents are being educated on how to be good parents. In addition, the FCS unit is working with the Social Development and Justice Departments to create child protection care centres around the country.
The FCS unit in the SAPS since its re-launch in 2010 after being absorbed into the greater police service in 2006, has doubled its resources and now has 176 units and close on 2 500 investigating officers nationwide. In addition, the FCS employs a network of highly skilled Forensic Social Workers to assist with assessment of abused children and the compilation of court reports.
The FCS is involved in the policing of sexual offences against children, persons-directed crimes (where the family is involved), illegal removal of children under 12 and electronic media facilitated crime. Two current areas of particular concern for the FCS are child pornography and child trafficking.
According to official statistics, crime against children has decreased year on year from 48,718 reported cases for the 2012/2013 financial year to 45,230 for the 2013/2014 financial year. The conviction rate is up to 75%, and since the re-establishment of the FCS in 2010, the unit has secured over 1,832 life sentences for heinous crimes against children. We are committed to work with all willing public and private organisations to enable a safe and secure South Africa for our children.
Ladies and gentlemen: in our continued efforts to professionalise the SAPS we are working with the department of Basic Education. We have signed an MOU with them which link schools with police stations and establishing relevant structures which look precisely on:
- Implement projects on Gender Based Violence
- Implement projects on Domestic Violence
- Capacity building on issues pertaining to Child pornography
- Establishing an Enterprise Project Office (on SAPS and JCPS Projects)
- MoU with SARS (Training), DCS (ATD, Training)
- MoU with DSD
- Establishing an Enterprise Project Office (on SAPS and JCPS Projects)
- Develop and implement a SAPS National Gangsterism Combating Strategy
Ladies and gentlemen: we have also strengthened partnerships with various stakeholders such as: (SABRIC, CGCSA, Mining Sector, AgriSA, BACSA, SETAs, EDCON, other government departments). We are also strengthening our partnerships with having been engaging in SADC, AU, bilateral with various countries. This is to ensure that our borders are well policed. Engaging other countries also equip us with sharing intelligence on various issues.
Ladies and gentlemen: we cannot forget the rural areas where crimes like stock theft seek to manifest. Our rural safety strategy has been:
- Been implemented in 108 priority police stations across provinces
- Mobile access (contact points)
- Rural Safety Priority Committees established (national, provincial) including SAPS, Farmworkers Unions, Organised Agriculture, Farmers Associations and other government departments and the utilisation of reservists to enhance capacity for rural safety policing.
We have also embarked on numerous community outreach programmes. Our aim is to work with community in crime fighting projects. We continuously request and encourage people to join and participate in Community Police Forums (CPFs). We have conducted Izimbizos to talk to people on the ground regarding crime. This has gone a long way in Capacitating CPFs and community safety volunteers in identified skills (including responsibility guidelines, monitoring tools on functionality, etc.). Our hope and plan is that this will result in the Implementation of plans resulting from Citizen-based Monitoring initiatives where we will Conduct public perception audits and Contribute to EPWP, job creation initiatives (co-operatives, etc.)
In professionalising the SAPS part of the SAPS implementation plan included holding conversations to ensure common comprehension of “demilitarisation”. In this regard, the first SAPS Research Colloquium, which was attended by SAPS, academics and Subject-matter Experts, was held in Pretoria from 20 to 21 November 2014 to address the theme that says: Demilitarisation and Policing in a Violent Society.
The NDP Chapter 12 clearly states that one of the key points of the NDP is to demilitarise the police. South African law enforcement officials must become professional, trustworthy and respected. Policemen and women should be selected and trained to be impartial and responsive. They must be responsive to communities’ needs, they must be competent and they must inspire confidence in the people of South Africa. The NDP also proposed linking the SAPS’s Code of Conduct and a code of professional police practice to promotion and disciplinary regulations.
The SAPS should attract competent, skilled professionals through a two-track system. We are making progress in this regard as we have already implemented the new recruitment strategy. It is interesting to note that demilitarisation at times is seen merely as a changing of ranks, whereas emphasis should be put on modern ways of addressing crime in a democratic state. We have a responsibility to take firm steps and decisions to guide our attempts in line with the NDP.
The type of police the South African community wants–professionalising the police will look at:
- Implementing the Revised Community-based Recruitment Strategy to recruitment: this includes ensuring that SAPS attracts the correct DNA of recruits to its basic training programme, endorsed by the community. Furthermore, inducing the requisite skills through crosswise appointments in key environments.
- University Training involves:
- Paarl Academy – Bachelor’s Degree in Police Science in partnership with the University of South Africa, with the first intakes in 2013
- University of South Africa - Practical Project Management Programme: empowering women leadership; and the Safety and Security Executive Development Programme
- University of Pretoria - Public Management Development Programme
- Wits University – Senior Executive Development Programme targeting Lieutenant Generals
- Revision of the SAPS Training Curriculum to enhance local flavour and relevance towards producing the type of police South Africa wants
- Leadership Training conducted with Old Mutual for Cluster Commanders, Station Commanders, Detective Commanders, Visible Policing Commanders and Support Commanders under the Frontline Service Delivery Programme
- First Responders Training in Public Order Policing for local police station members
- Established partnership with Tertiary Institutions (Tertiary Institutions Forum) to hone and advance academic savvy in the police and to ensure currency in the policing environment through quarterly forums, colloquia, round-table discussions, conferences, publications in accredited journals, and other critical academic platforms.
- Establishment of the SAPS Research Institute (SAPSRI) to advance the research capability of SAPS and improve its offerings to the community it serves
- Institutionalisation of the Code of Conduct through training curricula, awareness programmes, and discourse platforms
- Modernising Discipline Management, including the establishment of Dedicated Trial Units, proper sanctions and accelerating swift disciplinary processes
- Engaging objective critical platforms to track police progress in the efforts to police within a human rights culture – the establishment of the MoU with the Human Rights Commission and structured periodic engagements prove to be lucrative in this regard
- Establishment of the Integrity Management Capability to advance, among others, ethical standards and professionalism in the SAPS
The quality of the service that the police deliver
- Modernising policing through proper investment and intelligent procurement of technology capabilities and solutions– the MoA with the CSIR and the establishment of the SSERI comes in handy in this regard
- Improving and ensuring quality services in the police contact points (police stations) through the Frontline Service Delivery Programme
- Objective Assessment of Police Service Delivery and Professionalism:
- Quality assurance of the Crime Statistics through the MoU with Statistics South Africa – towards national statistics
- Heeding the voice of victims of crime to manage perceptions and inform future plans – the Victims of Crime Surveys reports from Statistics South Africa and the Public Perception Survey (Tracker Tool) from GCIS are analysed to identify areas of improving police offering to the community
- Participating in the DPME pilot project on Citizen-based Monitoring of police performance and relations. The recommendations from the reports thereof are used to develop immediate remedies and to inform future planning, based on the objective assessment from the communities the police serve
- Social Media conversations – in discourse with the communities we serve (158 000 followers in 1year+) and rapid responses by the SAPS
Rooting police among the communities through Partnerships and Community Outreach Programmes
- Safer Schools Programme
- Taking a Girl Child to Work
- SAPS Internship Programme
- Techno-girl Programme
- Junior Commissioner Programme
- Youth Summit
- Women’s Network
- Men for Change
- It’s not in my Job Description (Western Cape)
The task will be not an easy one however with the work ethic that has been demonstrated by members of the SAPS as well as other role-players we have collaborated to work with, I can say we are well on our way. We tirelessly further discharge to the best of our abilities to achieve this developmental plan.
Thank you
