National Commissioner of Police in South Africa, General Riah Phiyega;
President of International Association of Women Police (IAWP), Ms Jane Townsley;
Police Chiefs from different police departments present;
Mayor of Durban, Councilor James Nxumalo;
Representatives from government departments in South Africa;
All SAPS Lieutenant Generals, senior officers and staff present;
Representatives from Local and International Research and Academic Institutions, Civic Organizations present;
IAWP Conference invited Speakers and Delegates present;
Distinguished guests;
Members of Local and International Media present;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Good day. Sanibonani. Bonsoir mesdameset messieurs. Boa noite senhoras senhores. Habair ya jioni.
On behalf the of the people of South Africa, the President of the Republic of South Africa His Excellency JG Zuma, the government of the Republic and the entire South African Police Service (SAPS) it is our distinct pleasure and honour to formally welcome all delegates to our beautiful country.
It is an honour to host the 51st International Association of Women Police (IAWP) Training Conference, hosted from 22 to 26 September 2013, here in Durban. The fact that this important conference is hosted for the first time in South Africa and in Africa, confirms our continent’s stability, both from a security and economic standpoint.
As leaders and delegates within the security spheres, we may be possessing different backgrounds, accents or different sizes of economies of countries. Yet the one common vision that binds us is around our commitment to serve the vulnerable, protect the weak and crush the crime syndicates.
As elected representatives tasked with this assignment, we further recognize that ours is a daunting task. In South Africa, our basis on security is premised on the understanding that promoting mutual friendship amongst the people of the region and nations of the world must take priority.
In his brilliant book, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the twenty-first century the award-winning New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman demystifies the brave new world for readers, allowing them to make sense of the often bewildering global scene unfolding before their eyes.
With his inimitable ability to translate complex foreign policy and economic issues, Friedman explains how the flattening of the world happened at the dawn of the twenty-first century; what it means to countries, companies, communities, and individuals; and how governments and societies can, and must, adapt.
I am drawing the comparative narration with Friedman’s view on this ‘flat world’ because much as we have experienced technological advances; sadly, criminals have equally diversified and improved their tactics. What this calls for is a multipronged approach and in fact, governments need to be ahead, whether technologically or operationally in terms of fighting this scourge.
As the government of South Africa, in our cause of dealing with the scourge of crime, it became apparent to us that police alone cannot win the fight against crime. Criminals do not live in isolation from communities. Therefore we needed to deepen our partnership with communities. That is why we took a decision of fighting crime and fighting it toughly and smartly.
However we further recognize that we need to strengthen cooperation with international law enforcement agencies. We therefore recognize information sharing and through cooperation, we can and shall continue to crumble and deal a blow to these crime syndicates.
We see IAWP as an important partner in this regard. In fact, we were pleased to learn that one of your fundamental objectives is to ‘equip members for success providing the highest quality of education, leadership, information exchange, and recognition of excellence through a network of local, regional and international chapters preparing members for the workforce challenges of tomorrow’
.
It is our firm understanding that as women officers gathered in our shores, you have in one way or the other, experienced difficulties within your spheres. Issues such as transformation and gender bias are still engulfing many organisations around the world. We do, however, recognise the resilience, courage and determination of women, who despite all odds, continue to thrive.
Indeed many women have proved themselves as heroines in different life endeavors especially when they had to affirm themselves, it has been easy for others to follow suit. Within the law enforcement fraternity in South Africa we have many such courageous women.
We are led to believe that Africa, and in fact, the entire globe has many such women. A gathering of this nature should help us to tap more into such women, particularly from a developmental and skills development perspective.
Women police officers and civilian employees, function as champions for campaigns, for instance, on social crime-prevention programs aimed at reducing contact crimes. Our country has, over the years produced exceptional women who have made a valuable contribution to changing and improving their socio-economic situations. Such women come from all walks of life.
South Africa is no exception when it comes to women police officers. As government and as police leadership, we do recognize the important role that women play in the fight against crime. When we do so we move from an acknowledgement that their skills, abilities and talents need to be nurtured, developed and importantly, recognized.
During the course of our struggle against the apartheid system, correctly, we said that the emancipation of women was a defining feature of our national democratic revolution. We said that a true democracy had to guarantee us our national emancipation and national equality, as well as women's emancipation and gender equality.
As South Africans we have been celebrating the heroic role women have played in shaping a better world during the women's month of August, which we do annually. Recalling what the late President Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso had to say about the struggle for gender equality, we quote: ‘You are our mothers, life companions, our comrades in struggle and because of this fact, you should by right affirm yourselves as equal partners in the joyful victory feasts of the revolution.’
For many years, the majority of women in our country, particularly in the rural areas and the townships, have borne the brunt of poverty and hardship. The lives of these women were, and, indeed, still are, characterised by low levels of literacy and inequitable access to education, health, housing, water, fuel sources and employment opportunities.
Many amongst the women of this country have experienced violence, abuse, rape, sexual harassment and are the worst affected by the scourge of HIV/AIDS. They daily carry the scars of their suffering often in solitary silence and without adequate counselling and support.
However, the government as well as organs of civil society, have responded, as we should, to confront these degrading and humiliating conditions facing the women, so that together we build a better, more humane and caring society.
The important struggle we are now waging, is to end violence against women, is a critical part of the historic effort to change the power relations in our society. We therefore want to pose a challenge to IAWP to play a meaningful contribution in this regard.
A key challenge we need to put to IAWP would be a comprehensive reflection of its impact, since formation 98 years ago.
- This reflection should not be based on the increase in membership, but how has it impacted and responded to some of the socio-economic conditions facing women globally?
- We need to begin to evaluate how has it contributed to the social dialogue and cohesion amongst women?
- If so, how has this cohesion translated into tangible programmes to reduce the levels of crime, particularly on women?
- Introspectively, how has IAWP improved the overall quality of women police officers’ lives not only through work promotions, but impacting even the impoverished young girls in terms of career shadowing?
- We also need to introspect how far we have gone in facilitating the career development of women through training programmes?
- How has development of leadership programmes both within police departments and outside and whether such skills have contributed to our goal: fighting and reducing crime?
- How far has IAWP gone in terms of empowering member states that have been engulfed by wars?
- How far has IAWP gone in terms of empowering rural women, who by virtue of their geographical locations, may not necessarily benefit as such are often neglected when it comes to empowerment, mentoring and coaching?
- How has IAWP been able spread its wings to cultivate, maintain and enhance partnerships with community-based structures?
While these goals should be focused on inspiring other women to IAWP’s cause, they should make meaningful impact. As IAWP you have a duty of ensuring that criminals out there should not view this important gathering as another ‘pep-talk platform.’ You should be seen as a force to be reckoned with in the fight against crime.
In our view, we should guard against IAWP becoming a separate and parallel framework in the fight against crime, a framework that seeks to alienate other role-players. The important struggle we must continue to wage, which is to end violence against women, is a critical part of the historic effort to change the power relations in our society.
In our view, the continued oppression of women can as well be worsened by some other women who use women oppression to climb the social ladder. They use the gender ticket for narrow material benefit which has no bearing to the course of women’s emancipation.
We want to urge you as leaders and members of IAWP, individually and collectively, to pause and reflect on the incalculable damage that this violence has inflicted on our society, the way in which it reduces us to less than human and destroys the possibility to rebuild the fabric of communities across the world.
We further recognize and clearly understand that the task of keeping our respective countries safe cannot be achieved if we operate in silos. That is why a multi-pronged approach in the fight against crime, underpinned by the involvement of the communities we serve, is the only and most effective solution to eradicating crime.
We still hold a firm and realistic view that this world’s safety will be achieved through a collective, coordinated approach and engagement. For all member states of IAWP represented at this historic gathering, we have a responsibility of ensuring that the decisions we adopt, indeed contribute to world peace and stability.
We hope that as part of this gathering, as delegates you will have an acute concentration on the critical issue of intensifying our operations to address international police co-operation.
As modern and progressive world, we need to intensify our globalised approach in the fight against crime and criminality in general.It cannot be that crime syndicates remain sophisticated than law enforcement authorities the world over.
We need to as a matter of urgency, begin to enhance our ability to monitor and analyze information related to specific areas of activity and criminal organizations.
Such an august gathering creates an opportunity, so important in our troubled universe, for all of us to experience the reality that we belong to one human family, egardless of race, gender, political and religious belief, and country of origin.
As Friedman pointed out in his book: The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century, the world is getting more sophisticated and technologically advanced. To us as law enforcement practitioners, this ‘flat world’ presents challenges around ensuring human safety.
Forums such as IAWP have a crucial role in this regard. We urge you to remember that millions around the world are eagerly awaiting the conference outcomes. What the entire globe is awaiting are pragmatic actions in dealing with crime.
Let the outcomes ensure that integration and partnerships in crime prevention are strengthened. The problems are known. Their effects are felt. We therefore need to collectively take decisions and urgent steps to determine our destinies.
The battle against crime is a daunting task, yet doable and achievable. Collectively with IAWP, we can do more to reduce and eradicate crime.
I thank you.
Enquiries:
Zweli Mnisi
Cell:082 045 4024
Colonel Vish Naidoo
Cell: 082 567 4153
