Speaker of the House: Ms Lindiwe Maseko
Deputy Speaker of the House: Stewart Ngwenya
Premier of Gauteng: Ms Nomvula Mokonyane
Members of the Executive Council
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Members of Mayoral Committees responsible for Community Safety
The Head of Department of Community Safety
The Lieutenant General of the South African Police Service in Gauteng
Friends and colleagues
Guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Today marks a significant milestone in the history and life of our continent as we once more collectively celebrate Africa Day. On 25 May 1963, the leaders of the then independent Africa, made history and gave significant impetus to the continent's collective but then incomplete struggle for independence, by establishing the Organisation of the African Unity (OAU). Nearly, four decades followed, in which African states stood united in the framework of the OAU, while making efforts to give depth and meaning to their political independence and striving for the socio-economic development of their people.
Those efforts yielded positive results, culminating in the establishment of the African Union (AU). 25 May is therefore celebrated and commemorated every year as Africa Day. We should collectively reflect on the advances we have made as a continent. At the same time, the continent is still faced with significant problems, including untold suffering in areas infested with civil strife and war, hunger and deprivation.
We should thus use this day to rededicate ourselves to developing and realising permanent solutions that will propel our continent to occupy its rightful place amongst nations of the world. The pursuit of peace and development, and the discarding of conflict and regression should be foremost in our objectives as a continent. It is only when we overcome these challenges that Africa as a continent will fully be on the road to prosperity. But hope is on the horizons.
16 days from now, the world will converge on our shores to be part of, and witness to one of the greatest spectacles the world has to offer. Billions of citizens across the globe will focus on our country as we make good on our commitment to deliver not only the best ever 2010 FIFA World Cup the world has ever seen, but also the safest. The confidence bestowed by the international community on Africa in general, and of course our country, is testament to the world’s appreciation of progress we have made as a country and continent in the midst of conflict and other social challenges afflicting our continent.
It is a rare opportunity afforded us to use this international showpiece as a catalyst to foster unity, development, reject conflict and fully assimilate us into the world of nations. This is why we have always viewed ours as an African World Cup. We dare not fail the world in this regard.
Madam Speaker,
Whilst the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is a confirmation of the world’s unwavering confidence in us, having delivered large and numerous world events before, it comes with obligations. Principal amongst these is the provision of a safe environment not only for the tournament itself, but for all our communities in the province who constantly have to endure the threat of ruthless criminals raiding their homes, businesses and places of work. A safe world cup must be delivered in a safe Gauteng.
As we have shown with the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, South Africa’s readiness and ability to deliver a safe event is now only of academic and tabloid interest. FIFA, foreign governments, visitors and spectators are already beyond safety concerns, and looking forward to enjoying the warmth and hospitality of the people of Gauteng, whilst our people are ready to welcome visitors and give them an experience they will cherish eternally.
Being where we are with our readiness is the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, commitment and determination to prepare for the tournament. In this regard, I would like to offer our heartfelt appreciation to our law enforcement agencies, our defence agencies, disaster management agencies and transport authorities for putting together what will arguably be the most airtight security and response plans in the history of major global tournaments.
We cannot forget the readiness of our communities. For years our communities have worked together with government to create conditions intolerant to criminals in their communities. Establishing and strengthening Community Policing Forums, rolling out Community Patroller groups across Gauteng, mobilising communities through focused Take Charge sectors’ work have all collectively contributed to creating activist communities across the province, whilst enhancing social cohesion.
The strengthening of oversight mechanisms and methods through such processes as the Gauteng Information of Police Performance System as well as the implementation of the Gauteng Aggravated Robbery Strategy has also ensured that on the law enforcement front we deliver fatal blows to criminality and create an environment hostile to criminals freely roaming our streets.
I also stand here with more than just a tinge of sorrow and resentment. The bitterness arises from the knowledge that so many thousands of our people are still victims of unbridled crime. Too large a number of women, children and business people in Gauteng have been, and continue to be exposed to a reign of terror unleashed by criminals.
Summing up the frustration of the people of Gauteng, Premier Mokonyane noted that many citizens of the province ‘have told us that they do not feel safe in their homes as a result of high crime levels’. This clear, loud and persistent call by citizens makes it abundantly clear that crime and corruption are a veritable cancer that continues to corrode the social, economic and political lives of the citizen’s of Gauteng.
Tackling aggravated robbery in Gauteng
The implementation of the Gauteng Aggravated Robbery Strategy has seen a marked improvement in how we approach and tackle violent crime in the province.
The Rapid Response Unit of the South African Police Service has during the past year, effected no less than 486 arrests, 28 of whom are hardened criminals involved in house and business robberies. The unit also recovered 317 vehicles and 50 firearms. This is no mean achievement for a unit established a little over a year ago.
On the other hand, the anti-hijack unit of the Gauteng Traffic Police located in the department arrested 210 hijackers, recovered 116 vehicles, including trucks and participated in multi agency law enforcement operations across the province.
Work has also been continuing to improve collaboration amongst Criminal Justice System components to improve our conviction rate. This has produced results and we now take to court 22% more trio cases. These are cases that have been thoroughly investigated and can stand the rigour of judicial scrutiny.
This is also due to the work done at the Crime Management Centre, the nerve centre of our Aggravated Robbery Strategy. Focused support to trio cases at station level provided by experienced detectives located at the centre has contributed to this increase in cases presented to court.
The review of the Aggravated Robbery Strategy undertaken during 2009 confirmed that consistently and systematically implementing this strategy is having the desired impact. Indeed the review also revealed some weaknesses, which we are paying attention to.
Honourable members, strengthening our ability to tackle aggravated robbery in our province will involve enhancing both our oversight capabilities and methods.
I earlier indicated that an evaluation of the provincial Aggravated Robbery Strategy was carried out. Found to be relevant and effective, we nonetheless concluded that some improvements were necessary. Part of strengthening the strategy entails ensuring that the crime management centre functions optimally. To this end we need to:
* Improve the role and resources of the crime management centre.
* The crime management centre was envisaged as the strategic and coordinating hub of the Gauteng Aggravated Robbery Strategy. In order to do this it needs to have the capacity to track and monitor the progress of all the Trio investigations across the province.
* We also need to increase resources allocated to the Trio Task Teams
* We must do work to ensure that the Trio Task Teams become permanent structures.
* Consider incentivising members of the unit through instituting an Award Programme.
* Increase the focus of Crime Intelligence on Violent Organised Crime.
* Establish Dedicated Courts to Tackle Priority Crime as part of the focus to coordinate and integrate the criminal justice system in the province.
The Joint Aggravated Robbery Steercom, a structure established to monitor the implementation of the strategy and co-chaired by the MEC for Community Safety and the Lieutenant General of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng, must be seized with the above listed areas if we are to make further inroads into violent crime in the province. As the review demonstrated, focus on these areas will realise further drastic reductions in trio crimes. The department and SAPS will thus ensure we pay attention on the areas indicated in the review.
The Gauteng Information on Police Performance System (GIPPS) will focus on an additional 30 stations in the current financial year. Initial contact with GIPPS targets the highest contributing stations to trio crimes, declining detectives’ performance rate and overall efficiency of the station. Such stations are analysed, recommendations made to improve performance and they will be called back to a GIPPS 2 in six months time to present. The department monitors their performance on a daily basis through station visits.
Ten stations that were called to GIPPS 1 sessions during 2009 will come back to present on the success of their interventions and to assess what further improvements are required.
Strengthening social crime prevention
The social crime prevention interventions we do now aimed especially at our young people is crucial to the kind and type of teenagers and young adults we will produce in the future. It is crucial to the type of leader, parent and role model this society will have in the future. Further, it is crucial to diverting our young people now from anti social and criminal behaviour prevalent in some communities. These young people today will play a central role in the realisation of the African continent we aspire to as stated above.
During the past year, our Provincial Substance Abuse Programme enlisted 18 414 learners, 891 educators and 576 youth desk members. This programme was rolled out in collaboration with the departments of correctional services, education, health and social development and the South African Police Service (SAPS). Resulting from this programme, 26% of learner participants were referred to rehabilitation organisations for addiction treatment.
In this regard I wish to announce that we will continue with the implementation of our Liquor Campaign in the province, which includes mounting raids on illegal establishments and those not complying with their license conditions. This includes serving alcohol to underage kids, learners in school and trading outside of hours permitted by the license.
Our Hlayiseka School Safety Programme was rolled out to an additional 180 schools. This was in addition to continuing technical support to the 307 schools where the programme was established. 4 000 copies of our Child Safety DVD, developed for three to six year olds was provided to preschools, libraries and government officials.
Men as Safety Promoters (MASP) was established in six police areas. In addition, training and support was provided to 21 existing MASP groups in the province.
During 2010/11 the department will establish 27 new youth desks and provide support to the existing 107. Social crime prevention training will also be provided to 450 youth desk volunteers.
We will work through the Provincial Community Safety Forum (PCSF), which was established in 2007, to include coordination of provincial-municipal social crime prevention work. We envisage this will include provision of direct technical support to assist municipalities to fulfil their Gauteng Intergovernmental Safety Coordinating Committee (GISCC) project mandates, including the policing needs and priorities project.
We envisage that each municipal draft shall be tabled at the GISCC. Once approved the draft shall be collated into a provincial policing needs and priorities report. Equally important, the report shall also be incorporated into each municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) as part of the municipality’s Safety Plan.
The importance of victim empowerment is underlined by the successes the department has recorded over the last few years of the existence of Ikhaya Lethemba. Since its inception, the centre has provided its services to more than 15 000 women. During the past financial year, the centre offered counselling and support services to 1 359 victims of violence. Accommodation was provided to 449 victims, whilst 105 were also taken through skills development programmes.
Since 2008, the department has been decentralising the service by establishing satellite sites in remote areas of the province. Three regional offices have now been established and are fully operational in Duduza, Sharpeville and Orange Farm.
During the current financial year, we plan to accommodate at least 350 victims at Ikhaya Lethemba. A total of 1 104 victims are also expected to receive psycho social assistance, including court appearance preparation, post court appearance services and help to obtain permanent protection orders.
Additionally, we have planned to help 120 women to access skills development services. We have committed to audit 28 dockets this financial year. These would be dockets that mainly relate to sexual offences. This work will be done in collaboration with the SAPS.
Part of our 2010/11 plan to help women victims of domestic and sexual abuse entails setting up 50 green door structures. The aim of these structures is to motivate communities to establish safe locations for victims of domestic and sexual violence.
To improve access to victim support services to within easy reach, we will establish three Regional Victim Offices during this financial year. We will also sustain 135 fully functional Victim Empowerment Centres (VECs).
The department will spend R18,4 million on these programmes.
Community Mobilisation and Crime Perception Management
Speaker,
One of the ingredients on which strong communities are built is in their ability to strive for their collective good, take care of the weakest in their midst and engage in popular action for the achievement of good. Communities in this province have now consistently demonstrated not only their will to work together with state institutions for the betterment of their living conditions, but also their determination to be proactive and act to achieve it.
I am delighted to announce that we have reached our target of 12 000 Community Patrollers by end of March 2010, a year ahead of schedule. These conscientious volunteers, who have consistently rendered an important and profound service to their communities, even in the face of derision and discouragement by detractors, are contributing not only to safer communities in their areas but also uniting their communities behind a vision of safer communities. Creating communities that feel safe, and are safe must be underpinned by these kinds of social relations.
These community patrollers have become such a resource to their communities that they also offer their services generally to large community events. This is an indication of the confidence and trust communities have bestowed to these gallant individuals. Patrollers are poised to play an important role during the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament, especially in Public Viewing Areas.
Community patrollers are now an integral part of promoting safety in their communities. They enjoy the trust and confidence of both the SAPS, Metropolitan Police Departments and communities they serve. They are a model example of participative governance. The department is currently investigating models to enable these patroller groups to explore opportunities of generating income through cooperatives and in ventures that will continue to be of benefit to communities.
Thirty-six new Community Police Forums (CPFs) will be established during 2010/11, whilst the existing 134 will be sustained. This is due to the fact that the average collapse ratio amongst CPFs is between 20% and 25% annually, thus the need to constantly re-establish.
CPFs are arguably part of the backbone of crime fighting in this country. They certainly occupy a central space with policing, conscientising communities on safety tips, behaviours and support for law enforcement initiatives. They will be at the forefront during this financial year in convening regular public meetings in their communities where crime information is shared by police station management and tips discussed.
The programme appropriates R31,7 million of the budget.
Integral to our efforts to building safe communities, has been our initiative to build a strong, sustainable and massive social movement against crime. This initiative is grounded in our belief that only through mass, concerted and collective action by our communities will we create activist communities intolerant of criminal activity in their midst.
By early 2009, we were already working with 20 000 volunteers across the province which included Community Police Forum members, Community Patrollers, Victim Empowerment volunteers, Youth Desk members, faith based organisations, Labour unions and Celebrity individuals.
Individually and collectively, all these organisations play a crucial part in creating awareness in and mobilising communities to participate in anti crime activities. It is our intention this financial year and government term to extend this movement to all areas in the province.
This will include areas not traditionally targeted in the past. Whilst the movement will obviously take on a different form, it will be no less invaluable and will yield the same impact as we have observed where the movement has taken root. The department will this year also focus on the following areas:
* Sandton
* Midrand
* Honeydew
* Booysens
* Alberton
* Edenvale
* Germiston
* Akasia
* Boksburg North
* Douglasdale
* Randfontein
* Muldersdift
* Roodepoort
* Brackendowns
* Kameeldrift
* Brooklyn
* Bedfordview
* Parkview
* Linden
Whilst this movement is crucial in lifting awareness levels amongst communities, it is the combination of these efforts and law enforcement that will result in behaviour change amongst our communities. And it is also this combination that will ensure that our communities are, and feel safe.
In this regard, the department will continue providing practical support to all the sectors we are working with to ensure we strengthen and enhance their organising and mobilising capacity. To provide targeted resources to ensure their initiatives have impact, within our limited resource base. An important part of our support has to be the profiling of their activities. Though they have made important strides behind the scenes and silently, it is when other communities and likeminded organisations are exposed to their work that they will draw inspiration and courage to form a part of the social movement.
We are this current year upscaling our profiling work through increasing the number of our roadshows in communities to speak specifically about the work of the department. Media will be an important partner in profiling these initiatives.
We will this financial year have no less than 48 outreach programmes to enhance communication and interaction with our communities. The spread of these programmes will cater for all corners of the province, including the areas we have listed above on trio crimes.
Our communications will cost R13 million.
Promoting Road Safety in Gauteng
The safety of our citizens on the roads is as important as their safety in their homes, businesses and places of work. We have to ensure the safety of our citizens on our roads in the following respects:
* Ensuring citizens convey roadworthy vehicles and are properly qualified to convey them.
* Ensure public transport vehicles are roadworthy and properly permitted to use the routes they are on.
* Ensure our citizens are safe inside all public transport modes.
Consistent and focused implementation of our Gauteng Road Safety Strategy since 2006 has already yielded a 34% reduction in road accidents and fatalities in our province. This reduction is crucial for our provincial economy as we save billions of rands, means that breadwinners continue to support their families as they go to work and back home safely, thus reducing the burden on our social security net and avails much needed resources for other social needs in communities.
The involvement of our Gauteng Traffic Police with all other law enforcement agencies in the province has seen three significant highlights materialise during 2009.
The national and provincial elections proceeded without incident. The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was also delivered safely. Amid threats and sporadic attacks, the Bus Rapid Transit system was inaugurated and continues to be on our public roads to this day. Elements that continue to stoke fear through attacks on these busses stand no chance. These busses are here to stay and in fact their rollout will be accelerated. We are delighted that commuters have also not been deterred by these attacks and have shown their confidence both in their convenience and affordability.
To promote a safe and pleasant experience on Gauteng roads, the department’s Gauteng Traffic Police will, amongst other activities, work to reduce road fatalities by 10%. This will be attained through traffic law enforcement and road safety operations, as well as road safety education.
These activities will include 9 780 ‘zero tolerance’ operations and another 1 270 operations targeting specifically all modes of public transport. Our public transport targets will include errant taxis, buses freight vehicles. Excessive speeding, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and reckless and negligent driving will receive priority attention in this regard. At public transport level, overloading, properly permitted operation and roadworthiness will be prioritised.
Through our Special Law Enforcement and the Anti-Hijack unit, and collaborating with the police force and the various metro and municipal traffic police, we intend to respond 100% to all cases reported to the department. In this regard, we should recall that the Anti-Hijack and the Special Law Enforcement units of the department play a very critical role in the fight against aggravated and trio crimes. Traffic Management appropriates R212,8 million of the budget.
Tackling fraud and corruption
Corruption, like crime, is a cancer that continues to rob millions of our citizens of their democratic rights. Most people who join government agencies and police agencies do so with the objective of assisting the community. However, over time a number of individuals start to abuse their official status for personal gain. This is the commonly accepted definition of corruption. It has long been realised that this nexus of state power and personal discretion results in some individuals becoming tempted to abuse power. This is a challenge that faces all government and law enforcement agencies all over the world.
Nevertheless, if adequate plans, policies and procedures are in place to promote organisational integrity, we are less likely to succeed to minimise corrupt practices.
The best way to minimise the potential for corruption is to build an organisational culture of integrity. This can occur when the organisation ensures that employees understand the important role they play in serving the public and are proud of their organisation.
It is for this reason that our focus is preventing corruption through building organisational integrity. It is preferable to build a powerful and positive organisational culture that supports employees and others from resisting the temptation to become corrupt, than it is to rely on holding individuals responsible for corruption that is already occurring.
Our fight against fraud and corrupt saw us completing a departmental fraud risk assessment during the year under review. We also reviewed, amended and approved the departmental Fraud Prevention Plan. The plan, which identified new fraud risks areas, is now ready for implementation.
A series of awareness sessions, focusing on fraud prevention and ethics, were also conducted within the Department as well as at the Mogale City, Randfontein and Westonaria Drivers License Testing Centres.
A total of 88 hotline complaints were received via the National Hotline number 0800 701 701. These complaints were investigated and reports on our investigations were provided to the Public Service Commission. The one challenge in relation to hotline complaints is that fewer convictions are made. 88 hotline complaints did not culminate in any criminal, civil or disciplinary action. The main reasons for this is that the majority of calls to the hotline are anonymous, do not provide facts and cannot be followed up for further investigation.
Part of the anti-fraud and corruption work we did during the financial year relates to Driver License Testing Centres. We conducted audits at Pretoria North Vehicle Testing Station, Meyerton Drivers License Testing Centre, AA Test and Drive Randburg, JNC Vehicle Testing Station and at Route 23 Vehicle Testing Station.
Subsequent to these audits, a total of 133 vehicles from the Pretoria North Vehicle Testing station were recalled. The vehicles were recalled as we discovered weaknesses in the testing processes of the station. The station agreed to make corrections to their working instructions and improve on their quality control system.
An audit at the Meyerton Drivers License Testing Centre revealed weaknesses with regards to the eye tests. These were not always conducted as required. We also discovered that learners’ licenses were issued prior to the candidates actually writing the tests. Incomplete application forms were also used to issue learners licenses. As a result of this, we submitted a report to the Department of Roads and Transport requesting the cancellation of nine learners licenses issued at this centre.
Our investigations also showed that a total of 104 vehicles were not properly tested at the AA Test and Drive Vehicle Testing Station in Randburg. These vehicles were recalled and retested by the department. Subsequently the station also agreed to rectify its control weaknesses and amend working instructions in order to improve on the quality of their control systems. At the JNC Vehicle Testing Station 211 vehicles that were not properly tested were recalled for retesting. Discussion with the Station regarding improving controls and the quality management system is currently taking place.
We found that Route 23 Vehicle Testing Station issued 67 vehicles with roadworthy certificates without having subjected the vehicles to proper testing. Naturally, we recalled and retested the vehicles. Control weaknesses were identified and discussed with the Station Management. Improvements were subsequently made.
We continued to deal with matters arising from audits in previous financial years. This led to the recall and retesting of vehicles as follows:
* 658 from the Montana Vehicle Testing Station, 36 from the Mabopane Vehicle Testing Station, 971 from the Cleveland Vehicle Testing Station.
* Eight from the Drews Vehicle Testing Station, 134 from Michael Temba Vehicle Testing Station and 197 from the Martindale Vehicle Testing Station.
We also recalled and retested 12 390 vehicles whose roadworthy licenses had expired. Resulting from complaints received from the public regarding the roadworthiness of busses being operated by the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, the department tested the Tshwane Metropolitan Busses. Matters of non compliance were addressed by the Metropolitan Council, and the busses were eventually declared roadworthy. 50 busses of the BRT were also tested and declared roadworthy.
A criminal matter involving the selling of false drivers’ licenses at Protea Mall in Soweto was concluded with the accused found guilty in court. The culprit was sentenced to seven years in jail. A random check on a motor scrap yard dealer resulted in the discovery of three stolen vehicles and 43 vehicles that were not deregistered or placed on dealers stock.
This case was passed on to the SAPS and the 43 vehicles were issued with discontinue notices and were also blocked on the ENatis system. Blocking of vehicles on ENatis helps prevent vehicles which were damaged beyond repair, from being repaired, sold as second hand vehicles and reintroduced onto the ENatis system.
During 2010/11, the department will drive the implementation of the Integrity Strategy at our provincial Drivers License Testing Centres and Vehicle Testing Stations.
The implementation of this strategy will place more focus on training and awareness, making people aware of the fraud and corruption risks and how to manage these. For the first time the department will also be introducing ethics training in the industry. Various efforts to identify control weaknesses within these centres and stations will be undertaken, and steps will be taken to develop proper standing operating procedures or working instructions for every business process.
This work will occur at 97 Vehicle Testing Stations and 32 Drivers License Testing Centres (DLTCs) in Gauteng. Fraud prevention and ethics training will also focus on train the trainer, where the industry will make available people from within to be trained as trainers. A study will also take place to determine the correct business process for Drivers License Testing Centres. This will then also lead to standard operating procedures being developed to ensure business processes enhance service delivery while at the same time reducing the risk of fraud and corruption.
The department will also commence with a process to monitor and tackle allegations of fraud and corruption in law enforcement agencies in the province. For this purpose an Integrity Strategy, with a business model, will be developed and implemented with law enforcement agencies. We will together with the South African Police Service and Metropolitan Police Department be implementing their anti-corruption strategies.
The programme will spend R2,9 million.
Provincial policing needs and priorities
As indicated in the last budget speech, the department has now concluded the process for the determination of policing needs and priorities as required by section 206 (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996.
This was an inclusive process which saw the participation of municipalities for the mobilisation of communities. A total of 14 Izimbizo were held, covering all 22 clusters, where communities ventilated on how they wish the police to function and what some of their contributions will be. We also developed and widely circulated a questionnaire in the Izimbizo, placed it in boxes at municipalities, received submissions via our website and informed citizens of all these submission channels through adverts in commercial media.
As Honourable members would expect, a lot of what communities said and their expectation resonates with a lot that we ourselves experience as we conduct our oversight work and interact with policing daily. Specific recommendations have been developed and we will be making our submission to the National Minister for incorporation of these into the National Policing Policy, as required by the Constitution.
Of course the department will brief the committee fully prior the submission to the national minister. We are also finalising a communications strategy in order to engage communities and stakeholders on the role they can play in realising these priorities. Certain things must be done by the police, and some will be done in concert with communities and stakeholders.
We have now initiated a process in municipalities, led by members of Mayoral Committees for Community Safety for localised processes that will result in both Local Safety Plans, which we will use to update our Policing Needs and Priorities annually.
Human capital and financial management
Needless to say, all the above interventions and programmes can never be realised if we do not have both the people and the capacity to dispense and manage our financial resources prudently.
We will build on the favourable audit reports of the past financial years, improve and strengthen areas recommended by the Auditor General and deploy the required capacity in the department to enable a smooth functioning Office of the Chief Financial Officer.
The focus areas for the department will be on increasing supply through internal development programmes, increasing the span of reach in the labour market through innovative sourcing techniques including graduate programmes, among other approaches. We have also prepared programmes that focus on effective skills planning, including relevant training programmes, succession planning and career pathing. We have budgeted R2,2 million for learnerships and internships, R700 000 for bursaries and R1,1 million for training interventions.
Gauteng Rural Safety Strategy
Friends and colleagues, our government’s strategic goal of speeding up development in rural and peri-urban areas faces serious crime challenges. If not properly addressed, these challenges could threaten the food security of our country, workers in the farming communities and indeed, pose veritable threats also to farmers.
To help avert such negativity, we have developed a rural safety strategy for Gauteng. This strategy was endorsed by the Executive Council. Our assessment of the different policing precincts that serve rural communities, informs us that it will be useful to develop a Rural Safety Strategy – a framework for localised safety plans for all rural areas in Gauteng.
The Gauteng Provincial Governments’ approach to rural development and safety is to work closely with Local Government to assist the relevant local role-players to tackle specific crime related challenges that need to be addressed to improve community safety in localities.
A presentation on the rural safety plan was made to local government at the Gauteng Intergovernmental Safety Coordinating Committee (GISCC). This forum agreed that a basic framework will be developed to facilitate consultation. We hope that the outcomes of this process will be incorporated into IDPs.
In this way, each rural precinct will have a specific safety plan that responds to the key crime and safety concerns facing the communities who live there. This is in line with the Gauteng Governments strategic approach to strengthen crime prevention at a local level. We shall speedup implementation of this strategy during the financial year under discussion.
2010 FIFA World Cup
As indicated at the beginning of my speech, this global event takes place 16 days after we celebrate Africa Day. This indeed will be an African World Cup. This world cup must, of necessity, leave a safety and security legacy if it is to be etched in our minds forever. The skill that will be in display during the tournament will undoubtedly be a topic for soccer lovers across the globe for decades to come. The hospitality we will have shown visitors will similarly have long term spin offs for our tourism industry. It is however the permanent safety and security of our citizens that must seize us as a provincial government.
The investments made in the South African Police Service, the Metropolitan Police Departments and the Gauteng Traffic Police will obviously be there long after the World Cup is gone for the benefit of our citizens. I am referring to specialised training for detectives and the Public Order Policing unit. Those skills must be made to bear as we continue the fight to make our citizens safe and feel safe.
Investments in policing equipment will also come in handy in this regard. The flexible operating hours by our courts during the tournament must perhaps be an important lesson for the country, particularly in the midst of a huge backlog of cases we are experiencing. These are things we may have implemented owing to the demands of the tournament, but surely these are things we now realise are equally deserved by our citizens.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I wish to remind us of the wise words of the venerated Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Chief Luthuli. In his Nobel Peace prize acceptance speech, Chief Luthuli, our country’s first Nobel Prize recipient and an outstanding leader of the African National Congress (ANC), noted that ‘mankind has paid for the maintenance of peace the price of many lives’.
I find this observation as relevant today as it was when Chief Luthuli made it. It is noteworthy to realize that the objective political, social and economic conditions in our country are less oblique today than was the case in the 60’s. Today we are able to boast that the Republic has a progressive constitution.
Representatives of all political parties in government, opposition parties included, are expected to respect and adhere to the prescripts of the country’s constitution. Civil servants are obliged to uphold provisions of this constitution. Civil servants are also expected to advance policy directives of the major political party in government.
Given these comparatively favourable objective conditions, we no longer have to necessarily pay with hundreds more of innocent citizen’s lives as a price for our people’s freedom from crime. Given the favourable objective conditions to fight crime, no one can afford to do nothing about it. Only hypocrites can afford to be armchair activists against crime.
I doubt anyone amongst us in this house, including members of opposition parties strive to be armchair activists against crime. Hopefully, no one will be on the sidelines. We all have an important role within Community Policing Forums (CPFs), patroller formations and as reservists.
I would like to thank the Premier and my colleagues in the Executive Council for their continued support and encouragement. I would also like to thank the Head of Department and his hard working staff for their dedication and determination to ensure safer communities. Lastly, the Lieutenant General of SAPS and Chiefs of Metropolitan Police for their unwavering commitment to fight crime and promote road safety.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Community Safety, Gauteng Provincial Government
1 June 2010
Source: Department of Community Safety, Gauteng Provincial Government (http//www.gautsafety.gpg.gov.za)
