of North West Community Police Board held in Potchefstroom
25 May 2007
It is that time of the year when our cadres in the community policing
sector, take stock of what they have achieved in the previous year. The immense
contribution by the community policing sector towards the reduction of crime in
our society cannot be over emphasised. Through your efforts, Community Policing
Forums (CPFs) have now been established in virtually every locality of our
province. They are essential in building the relationship between public and
police that we need to keep our neighbourhoods safe and deserve our support as
South African Police Service (SAPS) and the department. Our communities need to
be encouraged to get involved in government programmes so as to ensure that our
young democracy is sustained.
We owe it to our fallen heroes, who for many decades fought for the
liberation of this country. We ought to intensify the war as a collective
against crime and criminals in defence of our constitution and in defence of
our hard fought freedom. I have in the past cautioned that crime is everyone's
business. It cannot just be left to police deal with. It is your
responsibility, it is my responsibility to work together and launch an
offensive against crime and ensure that criminals are exposed and flushed out
of our communities. When community policing was introduced post 1994, the
political imperative informing community policing amongst others, was one of
accountability. The police were to be legitimised by enhancing public oversight
generally and particularly by enhancing interaction, consultation and
accountability at police station level.
This oversight role was enhanced in Section 222 of the Interim Constitution,
which directed that the Act, the Constitution of South Africa was to provide
for the establishment of an independent complaints mechanism to ensure the
investigation of police misconduct by objective parties. The emphasis on
accountability was continued with the publication of the new government's first
formal policy statement on safety and security in mid-1994, the Minister's
draft policy document entitled "Change." This placed particular emphasis on the
democratic control of the police service and community involvement in safety
and security issues. It is against this backdrop that community policing has
become a relative success in South Africa.
Our vision as government was to create structures of civilian oversight at a
local level in order to ensure that the South African Police Service becomes
accountable to civilian authority. In this regard, mechanisms such as creation
of civilian ministry, a civilian secretariat, Parliamentary Oversight
Committees, Independent Complaints Directorate and other structures that
support democracy were established. However, we should as government, SAPS and
CPF board acknowledge that there are a few challenges such as uneven
development of CPFs in various communities. We should also note that there is
still resistance from within the SAPS to civilian oversight in certain areas.
You will also agree that 'Coffs' do not have sufficient legal authority to
ensure accountability by the SAPS. At the same time not all 'Coffs' operate
according to legitimate community mandates.
To deal with some of these challenges, Programme Director, the Minister of
Safety and Security, Charles Nqakula has recently proposed changes to the
operations of the forums. He has proposed that CPFs get involved in the
activities of Home Affairs, Justice and Correctional Services departments. The
expanded structures, which would be independent like the CPFs, would be known
as Community Safety Forums (CSFs). Besides preventing and combating crime, the
CSFs would empower victims of abuse in their communities by helping them to get
to know and exercise their rights through the justice system. They would also
help reintegrate offenders into the social and economic lives of their
communities, and identify facilities to be converted into secure places of
safety for children in conflict with the law and women in prison for petty
offences.
The forums would monitor Home Affairs officials in a bid to root out
corruption. Help community members to get access to Home Affairs services and
help municipalities establish immigration help points for better immigration
control. They would also have to identify energetic community members to be
recruited as police reservists and trained in basic policing in order to
increase police visibility in localities, a measure identified as key to crime
prevention in the country. Only CSF members elected by their communities at
public meetings on the basis of defined regulations would be paid stipends.
Members who came forward as volunteers would not get such an allowance. There
are also plans for municipalities to provide office space for the CSFs and pay
for services such as telephone bills incurred in those buildings. It is clear
therefore that the responsibility of the forums will broaden and make them more
involved in community issues.
Programme Director, let me thank members of the outgoing board under the
leadership with the leadership of Rre Alfred Mathe for the sterling
contribution he and his team made in their fight against crime. I have no doubt
but trust that the incoming board will perform and carry the baton with the
dedication and commitment. You are faced with a challenge, to ensure that
changes in your operation as I indicated earlier become a reality. We trust
that relevant structures such as municipalities and SAPS will give you the
necessary support in order to fully implement your new mandate.
In conclusion Programme Director, in case you are not aware, I have been
redeployed to the Department of Public Works by EXCO from next week Friday,
June 1 2007. Allow me to once again reiterate what I said in my previous
interactions with the police. I will continue to defend to the last word our
SAPS on any platform for as long as their actions are in defence of the
constitution of the country. MEC Vilakazi has been tasked with new
responsibilities and will take over reigns from me on 1 June. I am confident he
will enjoy support and co-operation you accorded me during my tenure as MEC for
Transport, Roads and Community Safety.
On behalf of the provincial government, let me once more thank you for the
enormous contribution you are making in the quest for a crime free society. To
SAPS management, I thank you for the support you have given also to the
community policing forums and I am very optimistic you will continue to
contribute positively to a crime free society.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Transport, Roads and community Safety, North West
Provincial Government
25 May 2007
Source: North West Provincial Government (http://www.nwpg.gov.za)
