The Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa today called for a thorough and holistic review of the South African Police Service (SAPS) communication tools and personnel, to ensure that the department continues to reach as many stakeholders as possible without any cost implications.
The minister’s comments were in relation to a reply following a parliamentary question posed by one of the opposition parties, around the production, frequency and cost of a SAPS magazine called Rivoningo. The magazine is produced on behalf of SAPS by African Spirit Media for a period of two years, dating back from June 2009 until March 2011. The magazine was subjected to proper tender process and 50 000 copies are printed quarterly at a cost of R14.9 million, which translates to an average of R37.23 per unit.
The minister was shocked to learn about this exorbitant figure and immediately recommended for a thorough review of some of the communications tools that the SAPS is currently utilising. “Our basic philosophy around communication and marketing is centred on seamless, simple and cost effective approach. To achieve this, we need to ensure we have in place the right skills, with the right personnel who can achieve more with less.”
“Whether the magazine is achieving its intended objectives or not in terms of articulating the SAPS key message with its audiences, we are without doubt concerned about the cost of the contract. Surely there must be other creative ways to achieve such goals without any exorbitant costs? We also counter-pose this huge cost with a need to build police stations, particularly in rural areas?” asked the minister.
Earlier this year the National Commissioner of Police, General Bheki Cele looked into this matter and has spoken to the relevant SAPS officials and expressed the police leadership’s concern over the impact and costs of this media tool. Whilst a proposal pertaining to setting up a similar magazine targeting international audiences was presented, the ministry was able to stop this proposal and redirected the financial resources to other worthwhile programmes. However, for Rivoningo, the department is tied into a legal contract until the tender is concluded; as such any review and/or termination can only be conducted next year.
The magazine was designed to capture international opinion makers, local communities, and community policing forums, universities and station areas with high crime volumes. Therefore, the magazine is distributed to these target audiences. The purpose is, with the participation of communities, to showcase police efforts to combat crime as well as highlight successes and best practices.
Minister Mthethwa has also tasked General Cele to equally relook the calibre communicators that SAPS has within its employ. “It cannot be business as usual; things must improve and improve now. The perceptions that people have been police officers for many years, as such automatically become experts in communications, is a false assertion.”
“We have always emphasised that in areas where certain skills may not necessarily be available within SAPS, we shall explore other options, including looking within the private sector. We need skilled communicators who clearly understand that communicating policing issues is not about laziness, passing the buck or being reactionary but that there must be other creative ways of doing things better, faster and cost effectively,” concluded the minister.
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