President of POPCRU Mr Cebekhulu,
Deputy President Mr Mabhida,
First Vice President Ms Shimange,
Second Vice President Ms Marekwa,
Secretary General Mr Theledi,
National Treasurer Mr Ntsele,
All protocol observed,
Ladies and gentlemen.
President of Popcru Mr Cebekhulu, let me start off by thanking you for the warm introduction. I see that there are some members of the media here this morning. So before they go write articles about me coming here to ask Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) for help with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigation, let me say, yes, I am here because I need your help.
I need your help in the fight against our common enemy - crime. Let us work together to rid our communities of criminals. I will give my representation to IPID when the time to do so comes, but let us not allow the investigation to make us lose focus. Our mandate is to prevent, combat and investigate crime. Let us remain focussed on that.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure for me to be afforded the opportunity to say a few words on this important occasion. This meeting comes at the right time when we usually start reflecting on our successes and the challenges of the year - best practices and lessons learned. For POPCRU it is also a time to celebrate so many years of championing the rights of employees.
Dating back from the 5th of November 1989 at the height of liberation struggle in the country, indeed POPCRU embarked and soldiered against many transformation challenges within a very hostile workplace during the apartheid era.
Over the years, POPCRU has positioned itself as a very progressive trade union in the Criminal Justice which recognizes the importance of mobilizing, organizing and fighting for workers' rights in this sector.
For POPCRU to enjoy the support of the workers as it does, it has to be an organisation that has direction, tenacity and inspired by the quest for justice for all. I therefore commend the strides that you have made over the years in this regard.
I believe that all of us gathered here this morning have the best interest of the SAPS at heart. Within the leadership team of South African Police Service (SAPS), there is a strong belief in human rights and in the well-being of personnel. That is why I encourage robust and respectful engagements as provided for in the agreements we have signed.
That is why I welcomed the march you organised some few months ago. I want to reiterate what I said then that we are an organisation which honours agreements it has entered into. In particular, I said that we could not, at the time, address issues of promotions, upgrading of positions from Level 3 to Level 5 for admin clerks appointed in terms of the Public Service Act and other issues raised due to limited funds.
But as you may be aware, the Minister of Finance announced recently that funds have been made available for SAPS. The process of developing various options to address some of the issues you raised is nearly complete and I will respond in writing before the end of November.
Engaging robustly does not necessarily mean we are on opposite sides, rather it means we are reasoning human beings who have different views on different issues, which then translates to sitting down together and coming up with ways that will benefit employees and ultimately accelerate service delivery to the people of South Africa.
The transformation ethos of the police remains one that is guided by conscious efforts directed towards ensuring the alignment of organizational structures, practices, policies and procedures with the principles of democratic policing, ensuring that the SAPS functions as an institution of governance which should center on instilling a culture of professionalism, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability.
The most important element this country has in the fight against crime is the men and women in blue. Very little can be achieved without them. Thus an enabling working environment will always play an important role in encouraging employees to achieve as per their mandate. Let me pause to thank you and the leadership of POPCRU for assistance in this regard. We are working within our ranks to ensure that employees feel and are taken care of by the employer.
I trust that all the discussions that have taken place throughout the duration of this POPCRU CEC meeting will produce the desired results particularly when considering the current political, socio-economic and organizational issues. It is publicly acknowledged that organized labour continues to play a prominent role in shaping employment relations in South Africa.
I am confident the robust engagement regarding the working class issues has that has taken place in the past couple of days has reaffirmed a contention that labour is important and cannot be undermined by the employers. A new year is looming, knocking on the door; I believe as partners in the fight against crime, we will enter 2014 on a high note with a well-developed holistic programme that will engage all role players in the safety and security fraternity.
Ladies and gentleman, I believe the upcoming year will be a year where as a collective we will focus on the structured aspects of policing that must translate into a service that upholds and protects the fundamental rights of all people as we execute our mandates in accordance with the constitution and the needs of the community. I look forward to a concrete that is designed for better and safer South Africa.
Thank you!
Media enquiries:
Lieutenant General Solomon Makgale
Cell: 082 778 3718
