“Working together for a safe and secure 2010”
Honourable Speaker
Honourable premier
Honourable members
Government officials
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Four days ago, our country and our people celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre, a day which we now know as Human Rights Day and which resulted in the democratic government declaring March as Human Rights month.
From a safety and security point of view, this day reminded us of a painful past characterised by unforgettable atrocities, when innocent civilians were killed by the apartheid state, merely because they dared to express their democratic right to protest against oppression and discrimination. Such atrocities were further perpetuated by a judicial system, which never served justice to all people.
Some of you would recall the trial of Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim, Mandla Maseko and Simon Dladla, who were convicted for treason in January 1989. The trial was particularly infamous in that Ebrahim, an Indian passport holder, was abducted from his home in Swaziland and taken at gunpoint and in chains to South Africa by his South African security force kidnappers.
All three men were subjected to savage torture. Despite the ANC giving evidence in London that the movement’s structure is such that the defendants could not have carried out the actions they were accused of, all three were nevertheless found guilty. Maseko received a 23 years sentence, while Ebrahim and Dladla were sentenced to 20 and 12 years respectively.
Despite all this experience, one gets inspired by the message contained in the extract from the court statement of Comrade Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim when he said: “A future society will have to contend with the children of violence. People who are taught to wield a gun, a baton and the jackboot, will find it difficult to understand that the use of force to order human relations is not the inevitable condition of human existence.
The pursuit of the goal of peace both within our country and internationally is fundamental to our whole outlook. It is precisely for this reason that this objective is stated in the Freedom Charter. “We stand here to affirm without any apology that the ANC and the rest of the democratic movement of our country are an important and unchangeable component part of the world peace movement. We seek a peace in our country based on freedom and justice. These are the necessary conditions without which there can be no peace”.
Drawing inspiration from these words, the Eastern Cape Department of Safety and Liaison remains determined to soldier on in pursuit of socio-economic growth and quality of life through safety and security. The ANC’s Manifesto and the Provincial Strategic Framework, which serve as our compass in navigating our path in this new term of government, clearly stipulate our role, which is to:
- build a developmental state; improve public services, and strengthening democratic institutions
- build a skills and human resources base
- intensify the fight against crime and corruption
- build cohesive, caring and sustainable communities
- rural development
Honourable Speaker, we are going to start the new financial year with a total budget of R47.878 million, of which R19.615 million is for operations of the department. This budget has been allocated has follows:
- corporate services: R15.285 million
- community safety: R22.146 million
- financial management: R10.447 million
1. Oversight of the South African Police Service (SAPS)
Build a developmental state; improve public services and strengthening democratic institutions
Honourable Speaker, we committing ourselves this year as directed by the president in his State of the Nation Address on 11 February 2010 that; this shall be the year of action, where the people of the Eastern Cape will receive police service that is responsive to the needs of the communities.
Our contact crimes namely murder, rape, sexual assault, and common robbery all show decreases, however, we will continue to monitor SAPS efforts to reduce serious and violent crimes and ensure that through the Justice, Crime prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster these cases are dealt with efficiently by the justice system.
The 2009/10 financial year saw the enlistment of 495 new police members together with 430 Public Service Act personnel. The total number of SAPS reservists in the province is now 4 305 of which 74 have been enlisted as South African Police Service (SAPS) members and 71 as Public Service Act personnel.
As part of resourcing our police service, a total of 780 new police vehicles were purchased to the value of R121.680 million and infrastructure improvements to the value of R134.268 million. The areas where infrastructure improvements took place amongst others are: Chungwa, Lusikisiki, Bhisho, Lady Frere, Humewood, Cradock and Mdantsane zone one police stations.
Our legislative constitutional mandate as a province to oversee the effectiveness and efficiency of the police service and monitor police conduct this year will see the following:
- Service delivery evaluations at 75 identified police stations including the three presidential police stations
- Quarterly meetings with SAPS management to enhance oversight over SAPS
- Promote community police relations by facilitating 37 police accountability meetings
- Strengthening safety at identified public hospitals by doing security assessments namely: Nelson Mandela hospital in Mthatha, Livingstone and provincial hospital in Port Elizabeth and Cecilia Makiwane hospital in Buffalo City.
- Assessments on the functioning and service delivery at police garages and the restructuring of the police service
- 63 unannounced visits at identified police stations.
Honourable Speaker, of the 131 SAPS senior promotions during the 2009/10 financial year only 38 of these were women. We are going to ensure that our women in the police service become more visible in management positions.
2. Community safety
A total of 14 940 police members received training focusing on crime prevention strategies, enhancing detective services, management and leadership development and crowd management. An amount of R1.266.727 million of the provincial SAPS budget was allocated towards this training together with a budget allocation from national SAPS.
As a result, we have seen successful investigations and convictions by our courts relating to high profile cases. Some of these cases include a rape in Mdantsane where the accused Mr Sibongile Mtsholisi received a life imprisonment for rape and a Mr Sawiwi Jamangile also received a life imprisonment sentence for the rape of his step daughter.
In another case where 5 suspects namely Luthando Gqithani and four others were involved in house breaking, robbery and rape in East London the suspects received lengthy imprisonment sentences ranging from life imprisonment to ± an average of 40 years each. These are just a few successes by our law enforcement agencies. On behalf of the communities of the Eastern Cape we thank our dedicated officers for the sterling work and efforts they do to ensure the safety and security of our communities.
To further strengthen our law enforcement ability a tactical response team known as the TRT has been launched in Port Elizabeth during January 2010. This tactical response team consists of highly skilled and trained police members that will respond to any high and medium risk situation, e.g. armed robberies where firearms are involved in and assisting with escorting criminals to and from court. The tactical response team will be rolled out to East London and Mthatha during this year.
Honourable Speaker, in continuing to ensure that we are working hard so that everyone in the Eastern Cape is safe, in the new financial year we will see the following improvements in SAPS:
- Ongoing enlistment of approximately 600 entry level constables and a further 300 as Public Service Act personnel
- Infrastructure improvements amongst others including the building of seven new police stations in the Eastern Cape at Kamesh, New Brighton, Moyeni, Majola, Joza, Duncan Village and Alice
- The purchase of above or less than 700 vehicles to the values of R133.848 million
- Training and empowering of SAPS members at an amount of R3.134.115 million
- Crime prevention and visible policing at an estimate amount of R483 million
- Enhancing detective investigative capacity amounting to R155.200 million
In an effort to improve the police performance in the province, a new communication system is currently being installed for SAPS known as the territorial trunked radio (TETRA) system. The first phase of the system focuses on ensuring effective communication for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. The benefits of this system allows for communication between police throughout the Province on one frequency effectively.
Furthermore the system is being integrated with identified municipalities closed circuit television (CCTV) camera systems through a common control room so as to effectively monitor crime. As part of the contract there has been an initiative between the service provider of the system, INTERGCOMM-EADS and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) (Port Elizabeth) whereby a TETRA Academy has been established.
This is the first of its kind in the world. Equipment and resources to the value of R40 million have been installed in this centre and it will be managed by NMMU as a separate business unit. This academy will ensure that training on the TETRA system is done locally instead of overseas as in past. This will form part of the curriculum for fourth year engineering students.
All 10 111 personnel will be trained to use this system and as well as a Train the Trainer system so as to capacitate other SAPS members. This academy will officially open on 30 April 2010. Three new 10 111 centres will also be built in East London, Port Elizabeth and Mthatha of which East London will be the first.
Honourable members would be aware that the national Minister of Police declared a further Firearm Amnesty campaign period from January to April 2010. This call is made to all communities to hand in firearms both legal and illegal so as to deal effectively with the scourge of crime that in many instances makes our communities unsafe. Thus far a total number of 1 510 firearms have been confiscated, 895 handed in voluntarily and 852 as part of the minister’s amnesty process.
Build cohesive, caring and sustainable communities
Honourable Speaker, we successfully hosted the first ever Police Reservists summit in July 2009 and have launched various street or Village committees throughout the province. Today in this house we have members of the village committees from the OR Tambo district.
The establishment of the Eastern Cape Justice Crime Prevention Security cluster (EC-JCPS) has created an ideal platform for government to coordinate crime, security and corruption between all spheres of Government and law enforcement agencies. This year will see effective implementation of our Programme Of Action to ensure South Africans are and feel safe.
The outcomes of the programme of action include:
- crime reduction through community mobilisation
- improved security management at big events
- enhanced border control and security
- intensify the fight against corruption
- strengthen the criminal justice system focusing on elimination of violence against women and children
- rural safety
This year, in October we will host a Crime Prevention Indaba to assess our progress on the implementation of the provincial crime prevention strategy.
Much has been done to achieve the ideals as enshrined in the Freedom Charter: “The Doors of Learning and Culture Shall be Opened”. In partnership with the Department of Education and the South African Police Service, we will support and strengthen the Safer Schools programme at 45 identified schools.
Our Safer School’s programme has resulted in good practices throughout the province to promoting school safety. A highlight of this is the transformation of the David Livingstone School in Shauderville, Port Elizabeth, which once was an eyesore for the community and a soft target for criminals.
Due to the leadership and inspiration of the principal, Dr Grove, together with the school governing body (SGB), community police forum (CPF) and former students of the school we have seen this school become an institution to achieve a safe and secure learning environment for learners. As a result of this programme no criminal incidents have been reported over the last 20 months at the David Livingstone School.
Honourable Speaker, let me take this opportunity to join the premier in congratulating our CPF structures for holding free and fair elections during October 2009. As part of resourcing CPFs, this year will see for the first time the Department allocating an amount of R20 000 to each of the 27 Cluster Community Police Boards and R30 000 to the provincial Community Police Board. These funds will be used for day to day running and administration of these structures.
This year, as part of promoting a public private partnership, the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison together with the South African Breweries (SAB) intends establishing Alcohol Evidence centres in the Nelson Mandela Metro, Buffalo City and Mthatha. These centres bring about a new solution where the driver under the influence of liquor and drugs is tested for the presence of alcohol on the spot. These centres are already up and running in Gauteng, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
We will intensify the fight against crime and corruption on all fronts and will mobilise our communities to participate actively in 83 targeted crime prevention campaigns. Our focus will be on both government and the private sector especially on fraud in procurement and tender processes, driver’s licences, social grants and identity documents amongst others. We will monitor the directorate for Priority Crime Investigations unit in carrying out these investigations.
Honourable Speaker, allow me to introduce to the House the newly appointed Deputy Provincial Commissioner responsible for the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations (The Hawks), Advocate Badi with effect from the 1 March 2010.
Our strategy to enhance border control and security will focus on strengthening the Border Control Operational Coordinating Committee which consists of key law enforcement agencies and stakeholders at identified border controls in the province. Stock theft, smuggling of illegal firearms, drugs and vehicles and illegal immigrants will receive priority. To this effect we will host a Cross Border Summit in October 2010.
Human trafficking incidents is unfolding in various parts of the province with hotspots being in East London, Port Elizabeth, Qumbu, Queenstown, Indwe, King Williamstown and Lusikisiki. We have established an integrated Task Team to look at strategies in dealing with this inhumane crime.
A safe and secure 2010 FIFA World Cup
To realise the safety and security positioning statement, the department hosted a 2010 Safety and Security summit in November 2009 to finalise the tournament preparations. To date, the following have happened:
- public viewing areas (PVAs) dry runs during the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
- Dry runs during big games at the new Nelson Mandela Metro stadium (Bafana versus Japan, British Lions games, Premier’s and Vodacom Cup, PSL game)
- Provincial coordinating committee established all relevant government departments, district municipalities, host city and proposed based camps meet monthly
- Provincial 2010 Blue Print finalised
- Provincial Safety and Security work stream functioning and meets monthly (SAPS, South African National defence Force (SANDF), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), CPF provincial board, disaster management, host city, justice, tourism, Department of Safety and Liaison, Home Affairs, Department of Correctional Services, Health, Traffic, district municipality safety and security work streams, Border Control Operational Coordination Committee, Liquor Board, 2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC)
- Provincial 2010 JOINTS sub-committee established
- Host city and district 2010 safety and security work stream operating
- Our safety and security plans have been finalised
- Deployment strategies for personnel and resource allocation have been completed
- Dedicated 2010 courts have been allocated and will be operational within the host city throughout the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup and will function from 07h45 to 23h00 daily.
- Dedicated prosecutors, magistrates, para-legals and interpreters have been identified
- 12 officials in the process of being trained on foreign languages
- Finalising standard operational procedures
- Correctional centres have been identified and will be working extended hours to support the police, Departments of Justice and Home Affairs.
- Provincial Joint Operations Centre (JOC) has been identified in Port Elizabeth
- Cluster JOCs have been identified in Port Elizabeth, Mthatha and East London
- Venue Operations Centre (VOC) has been identified at the stadium
- VOCs will be established at key strategic areas, airports, harbours, hotels and rail stations
- Special investigation group has been formed to identify or trace and prosecute offenders as part of a strategy to reduce crime in the host city.
- Joint court and detective strategies is in place to investigate and prosecute 2010 related cases
- A dedicated group of law enforcement agencies has been established and will be on standby as a reserve group for tactical deployment if the need arises
- Command structure for policing of Stadium and various VOCs finalised and in place
- Remote search park in place
- Two immigration officers will be deployed at each of the PVAs and base camps to assist with immigration services
- 10 immigration officers will be based within the host city
- Staff has been capacitated to deal with issues of human trafficking and assist victims
- Fire and emergency plans completed which includes 80 specially trained fire volunteers if needed
- CCTV camera strategy put in place to monitor hotspot areas in the city
- High tech equipment to support law enforcement agencies have been procured (card verification devices, breathalyser equipment, information technology (IT), vehicles)
We are currently training 500 safety patrollers to assist with security at the six public viewing areas within the province. These safety patrollers on completion of their 10 day training course will be eligible to qualify as security officers. This project will be but one of our many 2010 safety and security legacy projects. The funding for this training has been secured from SASSETA.
3. Rural development
In enhancing the rural development strategy, we will monitor policing within the identified pilot sites within Tsolo. We will further embark on crime prevention campaigns, strengthening CPFs and conducting a service delivery evaluation at Tsolo police station and support the safer schools programme. We will also vigorously oversight SAPS rural safety strategy throughout the Province.
4. Financial Management
Honourable Speaker, this department has for the sixth consecutive year received an unqualified audit opinion. This has been because of our effective management systems and the commitment of all our staff to ensure compliance to procedures, policies and regulations without compromising service delivery to the people of the Eastern Cape. We will continue to ensure that the operations of our department are effectively supported by sound management systems and strive to improve our financial management systems through effective and efficient document management, good supply chain management practices.
5. Corporate services
Honourable members when considering our massive oversight responsibility over the police and the number of personnel we have to do this oversight function a serious call is made for Provincial Treasury to increase our budget for personnel so as to populate our new organogramm.
6. Conclusion
Honourable members as our continent, our country and our province get ready to host the biggest soccer spectacle namely the 2010 FIFA World Cup let us work together all with one vision of contributing to present an incident free world cup that will leave a lasting legacy for South Africa and the continent. We will continue to promote strategic partnerships in the fight against crime and working together to speed up effective service of the police to the people.
As Comrade Ebrahim had said “these are the necessary conditions without which there can be no peace”.
We call upon the people of the Eastern Cape to continue to work with us to promote human rights, reconciliation, national unity, non-racism and building a better future together as South Africans, black and white in a safe and secure environment.
We dare not falter and victory is certain!
In conclusion I present to the house and the people of the Eastern Cape:
- the policy speech of the Department of Safety and Liaison
- the strategic plan for 2010/11 and
- the annual performance Plan for 2010/11
I thank you
