Forums
12 September 2007
Eastern Cape MEC for Safety, Liaison, Roads and Transport, Thobile Mhlahlo,
will host the 11th Anniversary celebrations of provincial Community Police
Forums at King Sabata Dalindyebo Further Education and Training (FET) College
in Mthatha on Thursday, 20 September 2007 at 9h00.
The celebrations mark the 11th year since the establishment of Community
Police Forums (CPF) in 1996, following the promulgation of the South African
Police Service (SAPS) Act of 2005. The introduction of the forums was aimed at
establishing accountability mechanisms to ensure adherence of the SAPS to the
principles of the Constitution, which clearly prescribed the accountability of
the police to the people of South Africa and the Parliament. It further stated
that the Police must be under civilian supervision. CPF's main role is to build
a working relationship between the Police and Communities and further to
overseer the South African Police Service in relation to carrying out its
mandate of service delivery to its Communities.
Describing the forum's role, MEC Mhlahlo says: "CPFs have been legislated in
an effort to deepen our democracy and culture of human rights and to mobilise
people to realise the objectives of the Freedom Charter that 'The People Shall
Govern' and that 'there shall be safety and security for all'. Government's
main objectives are to:
* deepen democracy, good governance and human rights
* consolidate people's safety and security.
This approach seeks to develop a collaborative security community, which is
founded on common democratic values and observance of human rights."
The introduction of CPFs was further supported by a major policy and
paradigm shift in Policing and the Criminal Justice System in South Africa
through the development and the adoption of the National Crime Prevention
Strategy in 1996. This strategy recognised that law enforcement was just one
aspect of crime prevention and all citizens of South Africa have a role in
addressing crime.
In response to this government initiative, the Eastern Cape adopted a
provincial Crime Prevention Strategy last year, which encourages a multi-agency
collaboration in dealing with crime. This provincial strategy has laid solid a
foundation for crime prevention initiatives in the build up towards the 2010
Fifa World Cup.
In these celebrations, MEC Mhlahlo is expected to outline the following:
* Mass Mobilisation Strategy Against Crime for 2010, which puts CPFs at the
centre of crime prevention and creation of a peaceful atmosphere for this
international football tournament
* role of CPFs in the implementation of MEC Mhlahlo's Battle Plan Against Crime
for Peace with a particular focus on the implementation of the resolutions
adopted at the provincial Community Police Forum Indaba in 2007, provincial
Youth Summit Against Crime in 2006, provincial Summit to Stop Violence Against
Women and Children in 2005
* role of CPFs in the implementation of the School Safety Programme, which was
adopted at the Provincial School Safety Summit in August 2007.
Issued by:
Ncedo Kumbaca
Spokesperson
Cell: 082 442 2388/073 206 6569
Issued by: Ministry of Safety, Liaison, Roads and Transport, Eastern Cape
Provincial Government
12 September 2007