The Minister of Police, Mr Nhleko,
The Deputy Minister of Police, Ms Sotyu,
Divisional Commissioners,
Provincial Commissioners,
Provincial Heads of the DPCI,
Component Heads of the DPCI,
Heads of Departments,
Members of the media.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for affording me the opportunity to deliver a short message of support on behalf of the South African Police Service. The Constitution, the supreme law of South Africa, emphasises that our mandate is to prevent, combat and investigate crime, to maintain public order, to protect and secure the inhabitants of South Africa and their property, and to uphold and enforce the law.
With limited funding, all government organisations must work faster and more cost-effectively to keep up with the ever-increasing workload. The SAPS is no exception and we are in full support of any initiative that will equip us with any type of resources that will help us build a safer South Africa.
More than two decades of policing in this democratic dispensation demand that we realign our tactics if we are to become effective in decreasing the scourge. The SAPS is the most public face of the State and communities expect us to be visible and active, particularly in their hour of need.
These days, the police and communities are required to work in closer unison than ever before. This is through the realisation that crime cannot be fought effectively solely by the police or the community. The vehicles that we receive today play an important role in assisting us in patrolling and being more visible in our communities.
They serve as a deterrent to crime and play a meaningful role when we respond to urgent, dangerous situations. As part of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s strategy to improve service delivery and resourcing the provincial offices, the Acting Head of the DPCI will hand over vehicles to the DPCI’s provincial offices, including Head Office.
Fourteen vehicles have been identified, marked with the DPCI’s police markings and fitted with sirens. They are ready to be distributed to the provincial offices and Head Office. Ladies and gentlemen, the DPCI plays an important role in investigating crime.
They need to be mobile in order to solve crime. It is therefore no surprise that 14 new vehicles have been donated to assist them in investigating crime. To those who continue to undermine the laws of this country, hoping that they will not be caught, think again.
We welcome this initiative. We know that indeed it will go a long way in fighting crime. Ladies and gentlemen, in these economically trying times, it is important that we take care of all police equipment. I urge all the members who will use these vehicles, to remember to use our internal control processes to protect our resources. These vehicles will be under our care and we need to maintain and use them optimally.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour to present to you the Minister of Police, Mr Nkosinathi Nhleko.
Thank you!
