Remarks by the Deputy Minister of Police, Hon Ms MM Sotyu (MP) at the Official Opening of SAPS Plettenberg Bay with its Victim Friendly Room
Programme Director,
Minister of Police, Mr. Nathi Nhleko,
All MECs present,
All Mayors and Councillors present,
National Commissioner of Police, General Phiyega,
Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lt General Lamoer,
All SAPS Top Management and Police Officers,
Heads of IPID,
PSIRA and Secretariat,
All SAPS Stakeholders present (CPFs, Civil Society, etc),
Youth and Children,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The ruling/governing party is 103 years today!
As South Africans, we must all be proud to have been blessed and graced by a legacy of a liberation struggle born in 1912 and became a constitutional democratic convention in 1994, that instinctively reached out beyond its original constituency and went on to embody a sense of one flag, one country and one nation.
We are thus all here experiencing this freedom in our respective capacities, because of this organized liberation struggle emanating from the all-important and historic gathering of 1912 in Bloemfontein.
It has not been easy to make transition from a liberation struggle to a democratic rule in 1994, as the ruling party was faced with problems of stabilization and reconstruction, and with pressing demands from the citizens to meet the expectations emanating from this liberation struggle.
But, as a country, and one nation under this ruling party, we together for 21 years now, have strengthened in this transition, ensuring a measure of accountable, transparent and non-monopolistic governance.
South Africa has now a functioning democracy, and is diligently active in International Programmes for Human Rights across the globe.
And, as a member-state of the United Nations, South Africa is signatory to a host of international conventions that seek human dignity for all people in the world, especially in South Africa.
In this instance, we as Government, has an obligation to honour the UN’s Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power.
This declaration is based on the philosophy that victims should be treated with compassion and respect for their dignity and that they are entitled to access to the Criminal Justice System and to prompt redress for the harm they suffered.
It is with this reason that Government took a decision to attach a Victim Friendly Room to every newly built or refurbished/renovated police station in all nine Provinces. Currently, SAPS have already established 972 of these Victim Friendly Rooms across the nine Provinces.
Yes, some researchers claim that, the focus on victims of crime is rather a reactionary programme on a symptom rather than curing the root cause of crime.
However, the absence of means of victim support and empowerment encourages the vicious cycle of violence and crime. If victims go untreated and unsupported, they frequently become perpetrators themselves, through revenge.
The mobilization around victims of crime thus continues to be one of the most effective ways of curbing crime rates, and providing human dignity to the survivors of crime.
These Victim Friendly Rooms provide a private place where survivors can be interviewed and statements can be taken assuring that the victim’s rights are protected and that they do not experience secondary trauma.
We have noted the challenges that are currently faced by this newly refurbished Victim Friendly Room here in Plettenberg Bay.
We are told that the community does not yet maximally utilize this facility. We thus hope that progress will be made through effective awareness campaign and marketing of this important facility.
Also, men and boys must be encouraged to visit and use this facility. These facilities must not be stereotyped as “centres for the weak”, and that “grown men don’t cry”. Men must then be a target in marketing campaigns.
But, we are happy to hear that there is currently a drive to recruit and train more volunteers to have a 24/7 rendered service in this facility.
Volunteers play a significant role in the delivery of victim support, and tend to be more popular with the crime victims than the professional councillors/social workers who tend to be more bureaucratic and less reaching out. We must just make sure to provide necessary incentives for these volunteers.
We must also ensure that the rendered services cater for the diversity in language, culture and other relevant factors. These services ought be accessible and well marketed.
We are also cognizant that most schools in the Western Cape are re-opening in a week’s time.
And, it is a fact that some of our schools have been subjected to violence and criminal tendencies.
Government continues to ensure that this environment of learning has preventative and remedial measures against violence and crime, by establishing a National Schools Based Crime Prevention Programme in partnership with the Department of Basic Education.
This is a programme that incorporates many stakeholders to improve pupil and school safety.
There are currently 15 796 schools across the nine provinces that have already linked with their respective local/cluster police station, to implement the Schools Safety Programme.
Each participating schools has a Schools Based Crime Prevention Committee which comprises of a Visible Policing Head, Sector Policing Commander, Community Policing Officers, FCS member, School Governing Committee and other community members and CPF members.
All Government Programmes and services rendered are subjected to assessments in order to measure their effectiveness.
Therefore, monitoring and evaluation processes for client satisfaction will be resumed in earnest for this financial year 2015-2016 to improve, remedy and strengthen where necessary, the Victim Friendly Centres, Schools Safety Programmes, and other services rendered by the SAPS.
We must all remember that the police station or a police officer is a first point of contact or point of entry into the Criminal Justice System, and therefore we must take pride in these resources and protect them. They are the community asset.
Let us all unite with Government to combat crime and violence in our society, and let us help SAPS to drive all these heinous criminals to their darkest cells.
I thank you.
Enquiries:
Nomsa Hani
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