The Premier of Gauteng, David Makhura
MEC for Community Safety, Mme Sizakele Nkosi
General Mbekela on behalf of the National Commissioner
Provincial Commissioner, General Mothiba
CPF Provincial board Chairperson Mr Mashile
Community leaders
Councillors,
Traditional leaders
Ladies and gentlemen.
Today marks an important day in two respects.
Firstly, it is important for this community of Tembisa in particular and Gauteng in general that we are launching this police station, a service centre that is one of the most visible symbols of service delivery in terms of policing.
For a long time, police stations were a symbol of our oppression and perhaps one of the most fearsome places for political activists. Many a life was lost in police stations across the country. These edifices assumed a grotesque symbol of oppression and the expression of that oppression for many of our people.
But with the change in our circumstance – the move away from the oppressive regime to a democratic dispensation – police stations should be symbols of hope. A police station should be a symbol of safety, of community involvement and a rallying point for the betterment of a community.
It is said that that “just the presence of a police station can make a community or neighbourhood safer, regardless of what's inside it”. A day is coming where our police will have in their possession all the tools of trade: a laptop computer, cell phone and cameras for collecting evidence. In theory this would mean that a modern-day policeman or woman could do their jobs in their cars. However, the reality is there is still an important aspect of face-to-face communication with colleagues, criminals and the public that can only happen at a police station, which makes it remain a vital part of public safety.
As a result thereof, Premier Makhura, we are pleased that we can now deliver this police station which not only will make the province a safer place but will become a place of hope where victims of crime – particularly domestic crime – will find refuge. This is why this particular police station has a Victim-Friendly room, a private space that makes it possible for victims to speak freely. In the life of those at the receiving end of violence from the people they love, this room may provide a temporary respite but more importantly, it allows police a chance to do their jobs.
This day is also important because it marks a significant period of office for this new administration. In that period, we have crisscrossed the country to listen to the views of those who come into contact with policing challenges. Over and over again, provincial police management has highlighted the issue of infrastructure as one of the most important in the fight against crime and corruption.
In the coming months and years, there will be more modern police stations being built. Some are already under construction. A few will be launched soon. However, it is important to indicate that there is a need to have a different view to the construction of police stations.
Unfortunately, the placement of the stations still reflect the apartheid mind-set where in every town or formerly white area, you will find a well-appointed station serving a few while across the road, one police station serves hundreds of thousands with a few resources.
This administration should begin to make a serious difference and to ensure that police stations are constructed according to the needs of communities and not just to serve the few. This means also that in reality, police stations should begin to serve all people irrespective of whether you are in your defined area or not. We cannot afford to perpetuate the constructs of apartheid, which divided people according to their colour and social class.
I have also asked the Deputy Minister to convene a task team that includes the Department of Public Works to ensure that outstanding infrastructural work is not held back any longer. This includes the building of police stations and other critical infrastructure that makes it possible to do our work.
Programme director, we are on the right side of history. As such we need to demonstrate this hand that fate has dealt us and act accordingly. As enjoined by the National Development Plan (NDP), we need to make our societies safe and feel safe. This allows for creativity and the ability to take part in the economic reconstruction of our country. It is almost impossible to worry about your safety and continue to be a productive member of society.
Gauteng may be the smallest province but we know it punches above its weight and carries the economy of the country on its shoulders. Unfortunately crime also follows this success and as a result, this province generates half the crime that affects the whole country.
This area, Thembisa, features in the top 30 high crime areas in the categories of contact crime and contact related crimes; sexual-related crimes; aggravated robbery; and property related crimes. The launch of this station should go a long way to helping us fight this scourge of crime in this and adjacent areas.
Another challenge that we face is the fact that because of its status as a premier economic hotspot, there is significant migration to Gauteng from within and without the borders of South Africa. It has been reported that 10 000 migrate to Gauteng every month. This puts police and other service departments on the back foot of meeting community demands. It also follows that this province would have a large share of the more than 13 000 service delivery protests we saw last year.
Needless to say, the operational environment of the police is occupied by a barrage of challenges which include, among others:
- Illicit mining resulting in serious crime such as murders.
- Local spatial infrastructure development projects that are not conceptualised from a safety and security perspective. These include legacy or historical infrastructural challenges and dilapidated buildings.
- Provincial liquor legislation and municipal by-laws are not aligned and standardised for ease of policing, particularly closing times. This is coupled with mushrooming and proliferation of unlicensed liquor premises.
- Transport sector - taxi association rivalries, resulting in murders and other serious crimes.
- Police killings which impact the human resource capability for fighting crime on which government has invested over the years.
But we are not giving up. We dare not. In spite of the challenges, we have recorded some spectacular successes including the arrest of a crime kingpin who is currently in court, smashed the notorious Rolex gang, and swiftly arrested fake police officers who were using blue lights to rob people in the province. We have also seized a sizable amount of drugs. As we all know, drugs are a precursor to most of the crimes as addicts seek to get a fix on their habit.
Other interventions include:
- Promulgation of legislation regulating unused mines;
- Minister of Health and Police collectively availed resources in alleviating the problem of delayed blood test results;
- community mobilisation; and
- Enhancing services for victims of crime to ensure that it is professional and complies with Batho Pele principles.
The NDP: Vision 2030 provides a multi-dimensional framework to bring about a developmental cycle for purposes of creating an environment that is conducive for people to reach their personal goals, and to be fully part of the social and economic activities. In this regard, the SAPS have a mandate to ensure that all South Africans are and feel safe.
We have committed to aligning our work with the NDP through the:
- Strengthening the Criminal Justice System (CJS) through integrated planning and implementation.
- Seamless CJS, Integrated Justice System (IJS) and modernisation.
- Recruitment, selection, appointment and promotion of Police.
- Training for professionalism.
- Capitalising specialised units.
- Enhance sector policing
We remain committed for the next five years, through the Medium Term Strategic Framework, to combating serious crimes, especially with reference to crimes against women and children and the elderly; service delivery improvement with reference to frontline service delivery; public order policing; implementation of various strategies, such as the National Combating Strategy, Visible Policing Strategy, Crime Detection Strategy, Anti-Corruption Strategy, the Risk Management Strategy and the National Security Strategy; Community participation in community safety, by means of a partnership problem solving approach, and overhauling the criminal justice system to enable it to assist in combating crime and corruption.
In conclusion, Programme Director, let me quote Julie Berg who wrote that: “Good policing is a fundamental test of democracy. The police are thus representative of a democratic order and it is they who are in direct contact with the public. It is therefore imperative that the police are: Professional; politically neutral (that is, free from political manipulation), human rights orientated, democratic and obey the laws of the country, community-orientated and accountable”.
This is what we are committing to. Where police fail the community and use methods which are not in line with what I have just mentioned, use all means possible to bring this to the attention of oversight authorities like the Independent Police Investigative Directorate. Our police should work in furtherance of democracy. Anything else just won’t do.
I thank you.
