Programme Director
Honourable MMCs and Councillors
Batlotlegi Magosi a rona a a tlotlegang
Deputy Provincial Commissioner-Major General Mpembe
Host Cluster Commander Brigadier Moatshe
Executive and Senior Managers from all spheres of government
Representatives of Provincial Justice Crime Prevention and Security Cluster Departments Representatives of the Provincial Community Policing Board,
Cluster Community Policing Boards, Community Policing Forums
Sector departments
Representatives of the Business Sector
Baruti, Representatives of Churches, Faiths based organisations, Women and Youth Organisations
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
In this cluster alone in the past two weeks, two families lost breadwinners, dreams of loved ones were shattered, children became orphaned and our communities lost protectors of their weak and vulnerable. We share the grief and loss and of the Selekes and the Gananelang and call upon all of our communities to stand up and say enough is enough, Hands off our Police.
No amount of blame game, populism and opportunism will reclaim our streets from heartless criminals except intensified united action. We should send a clear message to perpetrators of the scourge of crime that enough is enough!!! They have gone too far and cannot go any further except backwards and into the jail cells where they belong and not in our communities.
How many times in the last year have mothers wept at the loss of their children to drugs and at the hands of criminals? How many times have our hearts skipped a beat in the middle of the night at the sound of a gunshot or a siren?
How many teenagers have were seen hanging around street corners when they should be sitting in a classroom been taught? How many are sitting in prison when they should be working for their families, or at least looking for a job?
How many women and men have been raped and sodomised by people they know very well? How many cases have not reached the courtroom due to failure of the criminal justice system? To what extend has the cancer of fraud and corruption denied victims justice through disappearing case dockets?
Ladies and gentlemen, I am of the opinion that answers as to how the functionality of the criminal justice system could be improved to be responsive to expectations of our communities lies in all of us here today.
Crime continues to hold us in a “hostage” situation that we need to entangle ourselves so that we enjoy fully our freedom and democracy. We can neither fail nor falter in coming with tangible approaches to stop this monster in our communities.
It is the firm view of this government that in dealing with crime and criminals, we shall be blind to political persuasions, religious affiliation or any other friendship that might make us lose focus. To win a war against crime, we should identify perpetrators of crime in our communities and report their criminal activities to the police who in turn police must investigate thoroughly and diligently for a conviction.
Police should report progress to all complainants who are victims of crime, this is in line with the principle of democratic, accountable policing and the philosophy of community-centred policing to which we subscribe.
Implementation both of them by providing victims of crime with regular updates on investigation of their cases is putting Batho Pele in action and doing so is not granting anyone an undeserved favour but respecting citizens’ constitutional right to administrative justice.
As part and parcel of our duty, we will ensure a greater monitoring of police work in province. On the other hand, this can only be achieved when communities partner with us. Criminals must be dealt a heart and mind breaking blow. They must be isolated by all of us in our respective communities. Communities must not promote any type of criminal activity be it buying of stolen goods or any other type of corruption that is mushrooming in our streets. Bagaetsho the war against crime is winnable, and we are going to win it. But in order to win it we need answers of those questions and solutions to conquer this crime.
Evil can never and must never be allowed to triumph over good, working together we can do more to push back the frontiers of crime. We are now in a stage wherein a people’s fight against crime and criminals must be unleashed. I should however stress that such a fight should not promote vigilantism nor mob justice.
Of paramount importance is also to bring our people on board regarding the functionality of our criminal justice system. The rights and obligations every member of society critically depends on the rule of law, and a clear commitment within that human rights and equality for all must prevail at the very end.
The scope and the rule of law includes a clear procedure of making sure that our people understand and can also interpret acts, policies, rules and regulations, this will result in a clear society that is informed .
No decision by majority can compromise the equal citizenship of all or the exercise of human rights. Where rights conflict, they must be resolved by dialogue or by binding arbitration, but never by violence. No devolution will be possible or even desirable in this province without these morals and values as a core. Equality law is directed to ensure minimum standards in all communities. At the same time minimum standards are not enough and will never be enough. There are challenges for culture policy, planning, housing, education, community development and mother of them all crime related issues.
People within communities ask just a simple thing from all of us here today. They ask the criminal justice to protect them from criminal attacks, not just from the reality but also from the fear of being victimised. When criminal attacks occur, people want assurance and to be soothed into their indignation by arresting criminals and giving their just desserts on the other hand protecting their constitutional rights.
People’s expectations are to achieve these ambitious goals without reaching too deeply into their privacy and freedom. They also want reassurances that the money and authority entrusted to criminal justice agencies will be used fairly, allocated towards need rather than an ability to pay and be used to enforce the law without fear or any favour. Ladies and gentlemen, that is what our people want. I personally do not think that is too much to ask? Let us all gathered here give our people what they desire and want.
All these issues go hand in hand and must be treated as such, and with the utmost urgency they deserve. Likewise, it will not do to continue with the notion that people have a right to live in single identity communities. All of us have no right to put out our neighbours because of their colour, religion, politics or their sexuality.
Key social institutions like churches and schools must be asked to ensure that the broader social atmosphere is of welcoming mode and inclusion. Policy alone will not resolve antagonism. There must be real human opportunities for growing relationships built on the search for fairness and the vindication of each person, recognising that what is important or precious may vary according to our backgrounds. Workplaces are also key opportunities for meeting and working together, this can also results in coming with ways to combat the issue at hand. People can come up with real life experiences within communities, discuss them and try to come up with possible solutions to problems at hand. This will result in problem solving mechanisms for future incidents, in that regard people will be able to respond quickly to crime related issues.
As a former teacher myself, another issue that is close to my heart, is the issue of safety within our schools. All of us know today that hundreds of our schools have not escaped the scourge of crime and violence. The violence that is seen in our society has now made its presence felt in our schools. We all need to respond with vigour to deny violence a permanent place in our education system. Because it does not belong there.
We must not allow crime to be embedded and hide in our system. I am sure that all of you present would agree that we must use all our concerted energies to confront this challenge. South Africans fought very hard for freedom, one of its democracy is the right to education. A child who is maimed or killed cannot fully benefit from democracy nor can a teacher who is assaulted or abused. We must not allow the negative features of some of our communities to gain entry to our schools.
Schools are the second most important social institution for our people. They influence the prospects of youth and shape their intellect and future character. Your answers and initiative here today, is thus hugely important in mapping the way forward. It will serve as a firm recognition of the role that school play. It will be your solemn confirmation that you want to give young people a chance to succeed in life.
Every community in our country has a fundamental right to be free from fear. Each one of us has a right to feel secure in their home, to feel safe in stadiums and everywhere else. People should not fear the night; they must be able to travel to work, to school and any other place they wish to go to without danger. But these rights are being denied to many by criminals who do not hesitate to use violence to achieve their goals. However, together with all those who are tasked, we say to you all: Do not despair. Together we can root out crime from our communities. A lasting solution to the problem of crime will depend entirely on the success of our deliberations here today.
There is much that we can do now to end crime and violence. Of paramount importance is that we do so together ladies and gentlemen. We come to you confident that a new era has dawned for our communities and for the police. The overwhelming majority of the people want to live in peace and go about their business under conditions of security. I want to assure that, with your support the government will deal effectively with crime. I want to assure our brave police-men and women that you have the full support of the government and society at large in your efforts to combat crime. Now is the time to make North West province a safe place for its entire people, for investors and for our visitors.
Again I would like to thank you all for actively taking steps to respond to the challenge of safety in our communities. This is an important initiative and drive for government to heed the people’s call.
Ke a leboga.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 391 0420
Fax: 018 381 0328
Mobile: 083 629 1987
E-mail: Lkgwele@nwpg.gov.za
Speech delivered by North West MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety & Liaison, Ms Desbo Mohono, MPL at the Provincial Justice Crime Prevention & Security Community engagement session held at the Embassy Hall in Mafikeng
Province
