T Mhlahlo: Nightclub and Taverners conference

11 May 2007

Let me first take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for your
attendance in this important gathering, which seeks to find ways and means of
dealing with lawlessness in our communities.

Crime remains a threat that we must collectively address as it frustrates
our people and impact negatively on the quality of their lives, because it
distorts the meaning of freedom when communities are subjected to live in
constant fear.

As we prepare for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, we have an obligation to initiate
programmes and strategies that would create a safe passage for our people and
visitors during and after the tournament.

Furthermore, possibilities of realisation of the Provincial Growth and
Development Plan (PGDP) targets will be determined by promotion of peace and
security and the involvement of all our people in the fight against crime.
Therefore, it remains our collective responsibility to create an enabling
environment and to encourage investment into our province.

Government's main intention is to develop a collaborative security
community, which is founded on common democratic values and observance of human
rights. We strongly believe that human security is a building block for the
democratic state to ensure total emancipation of our people as it assists in
preventing conflict, reducing poverty and creating freedom from fear.

Our strategic goal is to secure a condition, where human security is matched
by issues of development, co-operation and peace in line with the vision of the
PGDP of making the Eastern Cape a compelling place to live, work and invest
in.

The Nelson Mandela Bay is one of the fastest growing areas in terms of
population figures because it is an attractive centre for investment and
tourism, which results into an exodus of people from the rural areas to the
urban areas.

This is evident in areas such as Motherwell, where many unemployed people
have surfaced and built shacks, which present another challenge for the
municipality in terms provision of houses and other basic services.

This challenge further impacts negatively in the safety and security of the
region as more criminals emerge and cause mayhem in our communities. In order
to respond promptly to this challenge, we are compelled by the prevailing
circumstances to have a multi-agency collaboration that would, amongst other
things, promote peace and security and combat the endemic violence faced by
communities with special attention to the various forms of violence to which
women, children, the elderly and the physically challenged people are
subjected.

Guided by our Provincial Crime Prevention Strategy (PCPS), we have a duty to
collectively promote moral regeneration and ubuntu as a foundation for peace,
security and comfort.

The latest South African Police Services (SAPS) annual report showed that
the levels of crime in the Eastern Cape, particularly contact crimes depict a
6,3% decrease in comparison with the same period in the preceding year. Over
the last three years there has been a steadily decreasing trend.

If the current trend persists up to 2010, one can probably foresee a
decreasing trend of between 12% and 18% which will be conducive for stabilising
high incidents of contact crimes. There has been decreases varying from 4%-16%
in crimes such as murder, common robbery, rape and assault.

In an effort to ensure steady decline in crime in the Eastern Cape, the
Department of Safety and Liaison has decided to engage various stakeholders
within the entertainment industry, particularly tavern and nightclub owners, in
an effort to restore the moral fibre of our society.

The main purpose of this session is to build a partnership with this
industry against crime, which is a long overdue exercise.

Our crime pattern analysis depicts that alcohol plays a key role in criminal
activities, particularly contact crimes, especially in townships over weekends
and after hours.

Alcohol contributes in 20% of domestic violence incidents, 78% of offenders
DID consume alcohol, while 40% of victims DID consume alcohol and 97% of crimes
committed under the influence of alcohol were not pre-meditated but were driven
by alcohol abuse.

It appears that 48% of victims are stabbed, 23% are shot at and 11% are
bruised. Last year alone, we have seen 3 169 firearms confiscated by SAPS and
867 handed in voluntarily.

I still believe that a lot can be done by all of us to get all firearms that
are being misused out there. More than 78% of offenders are males and 25%
victims are females of which 44% live in informal settlements, 55% of them are
single and 43% are widows.

Another disturbing trend is found in the rape statistics analysis, where 71%
of victims are African, 26,7% coloured and 2,2% white. African victims are
dominated by scholars with 37.5%, 36% of unemployed women and 26,1% scattered
between domestic workers and pensioners.

More than 16% of the victims are under the influence of alcohol at the time
of the incident, which is mostly between 17h00 and 03h00 the following day.
Approximately 11% of these incidents start at pubs or taverns.

The biggest category of offenders is single men with 46,1% aged between 11
and 30 years old. The most prevalent reasons for the rapes were determined as
sporadic, as the suspect wanted to have sexual intercourse for the sake of
having sex and act as if he had the right to have sex with the woman. During
that process, suspects use force and threats of violence to dominate and
control their victims.

We are all aware of the fact that African communities do not have sufficient
recreational facilities, which sometimes compels our people to drink alcohol
excessively. This has a bearing on the moral fibre of society and the building
of family and community values.

I strongly believe that the most critical area of intervention is through
regulation and strong law enforcement of liquor outlets' operations.

The issue of time of operation for these outlets should be strictly
monitored and the community must be given an opportunity to make inputs before
the opening of such businesses.

We cannot afford to have more than one outlet in one street, because that
would affect peace and comfort of the residents.

The issuing of licences should be informed by various factors to avoid
destruction of our people. This includes avoiding any business near schools and
churches.

Our approach should be based on the clear understanding of the best strategy
of opening economic opportunities for the previously marginalised, while we
simultaneously defend and build our communities and develop a society that
works together in pursuit of happiness that comes with freedom.

This process should be well-considered, effectively co-ordinated and
comprehensive. It also needs to be sustainable and its progress measurable.

Local Government should be at the forefront of this exercise and ensure that
it fulfils its Safety and Security role. The municipality's by-laws must be
well understood by all role players and be enforced by the relevant authorities
with the assistance of councillors and ward committees.

The Department of Safety and Liaison will support and assist municipalities
with the rollout of Community Safety Forums (CSFs), particularly the Nelson
Mandela Bay, Buffalo City and King Sabata Dalindyebo, which have been earmarked
for 2010 World Cup.

These CSFs are vehicles to implement the PCPS at local government level and
ensure that crime prevention is perceived as a service.

This intervention will make a meaningful contribution to strengthening
social cohesion and moral regeneration in the province.

We call upon the Nelson Mandel Bay Municipality and all other municipalities
in the Eastern Cape to ensure that CSFs form an integral part of their
Integrated Development Plans, which would further strengthen co-ordination
between the spheres of government.

Our approach derives from the principles of co-operative government and
intergovernmental relations as highlighted in the Constitution of South Africa,
which clearly state that all spheres of government and all organs of state
within each sphere, must preserve the peace, national unity and indivisibility
of the Republic.

As we prepare for the World Cup, we are simultaneously promoting township
tourism and Safer Taverns, because we want to make sure that tourists taste the
authentic African culture.

Such initiatives would not succeed if we do not stand together and speak in
one voice against crime. Nightclub and tavern owners should come forward with
information about people who sell stolen goods, drugs and weapons in their
properties.

It is through joint initiatives that we can be able to build a society of
present and future generations that remain committed to strong values, stoical
discipline, high moral stamina, humanity and integrity.

In conclusion, I would like to wish you a successful session, hoping that we
will all gain something out of the deliberations of this meeting. It is when we
work together as government and the business community that we can be able to
combat crime in our society.

Thank you.

Issued by: Department of Safety and Liaison, Eastern Cape Provincial
Government
11 May 2007