Programme Directors,
Premier of the Northern Cape, Hon Ms Sylvia Lucas,
MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Ms Martha Bartlett,
District Mayor of Francis Baard, Ms Khadi Moloi
CEO of Business Against Crime SA, Advocate Simi Pillay-Van Graan,
Chairperson of the BACNC, Judge Appie Steenkamp
Chief Executive Officer of BACNC, Rev Dywili,
National Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lt Gen Khehla Sitole,
Provincial Commissioner of Police Northern Cape, Lt Gen Janet Basson,
All Top SAPS Management present here,
All Government Departments represented here,
All Religious and Traditional Leadership presented,
All Civil Society Organisations presented here,
CPFs and Neighbourhood Watch representatives,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
As police leadership, we are totally humbled by this invitation to address this important event, in honour of women during Women’s Month. Certainly, by the mere fact that I am here to represent the Ministry of Police and its department (SAPS), we say, working together to fight crime is a must.
We are particularly pleased to hear and see that the Business Against Crime Northern Cape (BACNC) has been utilising its resources to capacitate women in the prevention of women and child abuse in this province.
We applaud you Reverend Dywili for innovations such as the Women Against Crime Project in the Northern Cape. This is indeed a much needed catalyst to strengthen partnerships between Government and all progressive stakeholders of this country to ensure economic development, social safety and stability in our communities.
Programme Director, we all know that it has not been an easy recent period for the South African nation. We have seen in the recent past months, some gory incidents of innocent children, women and the elderly, brutally killed and mercilessly violated for no apparent reason, other that, they were innocent souls falling into evil hands of these heinous criminals.
But, I will stand here unapologetically proud to say, our police officers have been doing their utmost best to apprehend these criminals. There is a definite improvement on how our police officers are investigating these types of crimes.
And, indeed some due credit must go the re-opened South African Police Service Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units (FCS Units), and the Department of Justice Sexual Offences Courts across the country.
Currently we have 176 FCS units across the country, and since their re-inception in 2010, we have more than 1500 life sentences handed on these heinous criminals.
Of course, we are not interested to satisfy quantity or volume-based arrests child rapists, child murderers, rapists, molesters.
We are focused at efficient investigations, which include improved accurate statement taking and forensics investigations of these cases; and impactful convictions, which involve prolonged sentences of these heinous criminals.
Therefore, the re-establishment of these facilities indeed give true meaning to our late former President Nelson Mandela’s wise words who said: “there can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children”.
And, our current President His Excellency Mr Jacob Zuma, has aligned himself with these wise words when the President said: “South Africans must unite behind the noble goal of protecting our children, the nation’s most important resource, and to invest in the future of our country”.
That is why today, we are here as Government to continue the multi-disciplinary approach of fighting crime perpetuated against our most vulnerable groups in the society. For, fighting crime can never be confined to matters of security.
Our belief is that, the sphere of “FAMILY” is the first line of protection and development of our children. And, if this sphere becomes unstable due to unemployment, poverty, inequality, domestic violence and substance abuse, then our children and young people will find themselves isolated, abandoned and trapped in social ills.
And, in-turn these vulnerable groups become prone to being victims of prostitution, human trafficking and substance abuse, problems that are very rife in the Northern Cape Province.
The Business sector, in this instance, is encouraged to continue partnering with Government in support of Government’s various community outreach programmes to better the lives of our ordinary people.
I am thus making a humble plea today, to the BAC Northern Cape, to partner with us when the South African Police Service launches its Provincial Community Outreach Programme for Safer Schools on Wednesday, 27th August 2014 in Colesberg, De Aar.
As the Police Leadership, we believe in developing programmes that are channelled at prevention measures. We are also aware that one of the most important spheres to work with to curb child abuse is the school environment.
We all know that educators spend a great deal of time with abused children who are their learners, it becomes important that educators know how to manage these children in the school yard and in the school classroom.
That is why the Ministry of Police continues with the resolve of the inter-departmental approach to fight and prevent crime.
In this instance, the Minister of Police and the Minister of Basic Education signed a Protocol Implementation Agreement last year April 2011, to partner for the promotion of safer schools and to prevent the involvement of young people in crime.
Through these Provincial Launches, which have already occurred in five provinces (Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga & Limpopo), the “Adopt a School Committees” get established in all schools, in order to build resistance and resilience amongst learners and youth to offending behaviour and from victimisation.
We are thus here to endorse an integrated national effort with Business, to create a caring and humane society, underpinned by values of human solidarity, justice, peace and development.
It is only through strong partnerships that we can create safer environments to enhance economic development, growth and investments.
Thank you very much for inviting us, it is truly appreciated.
Media enquiries:
Ms Nomsa Hani
Cell: 082 772 2053
Tel: +27 12 3934469 / 21 4677023
Fax: +27 12 3934614 / 21 4614174
E-mail: HaniNomsa@saps.org.za
