Dipuo Peters at the Best Female Law Enforcement Officer of the year 2007 event,
De Aar City Hall
29 August 2007
Programme Directors,
District Municipality Mayor, Hezel Jenkins,
Provincial Safety and Liaison MEC, Thembalekhaya Madikane,
Members of the Provincial Legislature,
Emthageni Municipality Kenneth Markman
Provincial Police Commissioner, Miriam Mbombo,
Provincial Community Police Forum chairperson, Nxoxo,
Our esteemed awards nominees tonight, the woman in blue,
Councillors and community leaders,
Senior government officials,
Distinguished guests,
Listeners of Ulwazi Community Radio Station,
Ladies and gentlemen
It is a privilege and honour for me to be part of the bi-annual Best Female
Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Competition 2007, which represents
government and community appreciation of the work done distinguished women in
the Traffic and Police law enforcement fraternity.
The fact that today, we can be able to proudly proclaim a decline in the
incidents of crime and road fatalities and accidents is due to the dedication,
hard work and cooperation among the women in blue, police women and female
traffic officers who are active in combating crime and promoting road
safety.
We are here today to honour and celebrate these industrious and selfless
women who are like shining stars whose dedication and actions deserve to be
emulated by more women in the traffic and police disciplines.
As you are aware, August has been declare the Month of Women and we are here
in the Pixley ka Seme Region to do just that, to celebrate with our women and
end the August celebration with a high note.
Indeed our communities will continue to rely on these dedicated women of our
law enforcement to intensify programme and campaigns aimed at building safe,
supportive, high moral community and road safety conscious communities.
These women are warriors who assist our Community Police For a, protect our
women and children, fight domestic violence and further participate in reducing
incidents of crime and educate our communities about the imperatives of road
safety.
These awards comes at an appropriate time when the country is reflecting on
the challenges facing all women of this country and evaluate the progress we
are making in ensuring that South Africa became a truly non-sexists society
Programme Directors
Allow me to use the words of our President Thabo Mbeki during the Women
Day's celebrations in Kimberley on 9 August, when he said "We should use this
day to ask ourselves as to what more we must do to end all forms of women abuse
and violence against women and children, including the terrible crime of rape."
These women we are celebrating tonight asked themselves that question before
the President directed. They have served their communities with dignity and
pride. They have and continue to lead the fight against and have enforced
traffic law and regulations.
These women we are honouring tonight are real women who believe in
subscribes to the theme of the month of August 'Emancipation, Empowerment,
Equality and Eradication of Poverty Now.'
These are women various police and traffic stations pride themselves with,
as they have and continue to take the lead in ensuring equality in their work
places. They have worked hard for their own emancipation and have been involved
in community programmes aimed at eradicating poverty within their
communities.
We remain committed as a government and a province to advance women
empowerment as we believe that no true peace and progress can be secured in any
country for as long as women in that country are denied full and democratic
rights and duties.
Equally so, no province no true peace and progress can be secured in any
province for as long as women in that province are denied full and democratic
rights. To demonstrate government's commitment towards the emancipation of
women South Africa prides itself with having a Cabinet consisting of 43% women
representation. Four of the nine provinces including ours, the Northern Cape,
are led by women.
Our Parliament has more than 30% women representation. This is also
translating to local government level as well where women representation stands
at 40%.
In addition South Africa is rated number 10 out of the 130 parliaments in the
world in terms of women's advancement in governance. Our Provincial Police
Commissioner is the first and only women in the country to be appointed
Provincial Police Commissioner in South African Police Service (SAPS). The MEC
responsible for Safety in the Northern Cape is also a woman. The Head of
Department is also a woman. If this does not demonstrate our commitment and
progress in this regard than we don't know what would.
However, a lot still needs to be done in transforming the safety and
security fraternity which is still male dominated. Women of today should
emulate the example of women during the brutal years of apartheid when women
were at the forefront of the battles against that dreaded system of systematic
oppression.
Our history is filled with the stories of the heroic deeds carried out by
patriotic South African women who were not prepared to heed to the yoke of
Apartheid. Women in urban and rural areas, black and white, rich and poor, the
religious and non-religious, stood together side by side, to fight and
emphatically defeat apartheid.
Programme Director,
Allow me again to reflect and use the words of our President Thabo Mbeki
during the Women's Day Celebrations in Kimberley "All of us are aware of the
fact that, women are still subjected to various forms of abuse. We therefore
call upon all sectors of society to join forces in a national partnership to
fight against all forms of abuse against women, to join the campaign of '365
Days of Activism against Violence Against Women and Children.'
As we are all aware the search for the Best Northern Cape Traffic and Police
Women of the Year for 2007 was on and had closed last week. This initiative is
part of the provincial Department of Safety and Liaison to celebrate and bestow
honour to women in these male dominated terrains.
Seventeen entries where received from both traffic and policewomen
throughout the province and 10 finalists were selected and put on the interview
shortlist. They were subjected to questions to an intense selection process
before the adjudicators arrived to a final conclusion on the top three
finalists. Let us take this opportunity to congratulate them for making it to
this far in the competition and for serving our communities with pride, without
fear and favour.
This is what led to the communities which they are proud to serve and belong
to nominating them for the award. Tonight one woman will leave this hall all
smiles to the bank with an amount of R10 000 while the runner-up will pocket an
amount of R5 000 00 and the third price is R3 000. However, all these women are
winners and deserve applause and praises for a job well done.
The department has been running this competition since the year 2000 with
the main aim being to reward excellence in law enforcement and recognise
unswerving devotion to duty, outstanding record of service in the traffic and
the police fraternities and to the community.
This year the department convened a panel of outside and independent
adjudicators. They are capable men and women with high integrity. On behalf of
the Department of Safety and Liaison and the people of the province we extend a
word of thanks to Social Services Department Chief Director, Stephen Jonkers,
Crime Prevention's Advocate Botha, Commission of Gender Equality Senior
Manager, Marcia Appeal, Office on Status of Women's Martha William and Public
Service Commissioner Kenny Mathews for agreeing to sit on the hot seat and
adjudicating in the competition.
The long-term goal of the competition is aimed at encouraging our
matriculants to join the police and traffic service women in blue to continue
to break the glass ceilings in these previously male dominated disciplines.
This is our manner of giving recognition to all these soldiers in the law
enforcement fraternity. We hope that these awards will not only regenerate
public values but also provide incentive by motivating yet more others to
prevent and combat crime as well as promote road safety across our
province.
I therefore conclude by appealing to our communities to volunteer their
services to the common objectives of building safer communities by following
the good examples of the ladies we are honouring tonight. Congratulations to
all the awards winners.
I thank you
Ke a leboga
Baie dankie
Enkosi
Issued by: Northern Cape Provincial Government
29 August 2007
