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Date : 08/06/2004
Source: Ministry of Correction Services
Title: B Balfour: 5th National Congress of POPCRU


ADDRESS BY THE MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES, MR BMN BALFOUR, MP, AT THE 5TH NATIONAL CONGRESS OF THE POLICE AND PRISONS CIVIL RIGHTS UNION (POPCRU), Regent Hotel, East London, 8 June 2004

Programme Director
President of POPCRU Zizamele Cebekhulu
Vice-Presidents and General Secretary
Members of the National Executive Committee
Provincial Leadership of POPCRU
Congress Delegates
Invited Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

Being afforded the opportunity to address the 5th National Congress of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) was an invitation that I was not going to let go amiss; no matter the congestion of my schedule of activities.

You might be aware that I am currently engaged in a series of visits to all regions of Correctional Services with the express purpose of meeting members of the Department and also familiarizing myself with issues and conditions impacting on our core business as correctional officials. I have had some enlightening experiences, some of which I would want to share with you during the course of this address.

On Friday morning, the senior leadership of POPCRU paid me a courtesy call at my office in Pretoria. The delegation included the President, 2nd Vice President, the General-Secretary and the Deputy General-Secretary. Despite the pressing demands that preparation for this Congress placed on them, they deemed it important that we should meet. I am highly appreciative of that and also for the invitation to the Congress.

A Congress, by its very nature, is an opportunity to reflect on activities of an organization but also to map out the road ahead. Of course, there is also the crucial issue of elections; a process that I believe started yesterday and would be concluded with the announcement of the results on Thursday.

I want to congratulate POPCRU on reaching this very important milestone in its history. From humble beginnings in 1989 with the oppressive apartheid regime still in place, POPCRU came to the fore like a breath of fresh air; strengthening the progressive trade union movement at the time and representing a constituency that was discriminated against simply because of their skin pigmentation. POPCRU successfully transcended the transition to democracy and found a niche for itself that would advance the cause of its members.

Of course, there was also a time that POPCRU had to grapple with tensions relating to members filling positions as managers within Correctional Services. This generated its own dynamics and put to the test, for some of you at least, your responsibilities as a manager in relation to your responsibilities as a Union leader.

Today, POPCRU remains a role player in our quest for deepening democracy and this Congress signifies the steps that POPCRU has made in building a worker-led organization.

It is significant that POPCRU hosts its 5th National Congress in the same year that our country celebrates a decade of freedom and democracy and exactly 55 days after our third democratic elections. This should not be lost on POPCRU as an organization that is part of the Alliance through its affiliation to COSATU.

In our election manifesto to the people of South Africa, our President, Thabo Mbeki, states, (and I quote) "Our First Ten Years of Freedom have been ten years of growing unity in action; ten years of peace and stability; ten years of increasingly making resources in the hands of the state available to uplift disadvantaged South Africans; ten years of expanding opportunities to build a better life for all."

The President goes on to state, "But we still have to reach the ideal of a society that truly cares." And he further poses the question, "What should we work to achieve in the Second Decade of our Freedom?"

As an organization, the ANC and its alliance partners have entered into a People's Contract with all South Africans. We are committed to the goal of creating a South Africa in which all of us, and by implication, that includes the entire membership of POPCRU, can experience an ever-improving quality of life, where equal human rights is a norm and where access to opportunities that freedom has brought us, is a given. All of these goals apply equally to the members of POPCRU as they apply to all other South Africans.

Of course, there is one essential difference - the members of POPCRU will not only be on the receiving end of this better life for all but will also be in the driving seat to ensure the better life that we speak of. As much as government has a responsibility and duty to deliver on our mandate, so too, does POPCRU have that responsibility and duty. Government and POPCRU are not in opposition to each other. Nor are government and POPCRU adversaries. By extension, the Department of Correctional Services is not an adversary of POPCRU. Nor is POPCRU in opposition to Correctional Services.

But this seems to be lost on some of us. For goodness sake, the members of POPCRU are our members. We work alongside each other every day. We are allies, comrades, friends and colleagues. But yet, I have detected a tendency that some of us see ourselves as foes. That will have to stop. How can we be allies in our political organization and foes on the shop floor?

Yes, Correctional Services is the employer and POPCRU represents the interests of a percentage of our employees. And yes, POPCRU would want to position itself in such a manner that you can derive the maximum benefits for your membership. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, if the national and provincial leadership of POPCRU do not do this, they do not deserve to be re-elected. If they do not advance the interests of their members, POPCRU might as well close up shop and permit other worker organizations to represent employees of Correctional Services.

It is for this reason that POPCRU has entered into agreements with Correctional Services. It is for this reason that a framework has been agreed upon that governs the relationship between Correctional Services and POPCRU. It is for this reason that we have Departmental Bargaining Council where we thrash out issues impacting on both employee and employer. Built into this, are mechanisms of communication, grievance and dispute procedures and a disciplinary code and procedure.

In a speech delivered at the COSATU Public Service Conference on 23 April this year, the COSATU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi referred to relationships between employer and employee. He stated the following: "We recognise that as representatives of workers' interests in the public service, we may from time to time clash with the government we have played such a critical role in installing. They are our employers after all, and we want better wages and improved working conditions." He went on to say, "When this contradiction plays itself out, all of us should have our eyes on the bigger picture, which is the overall transformation of the state and creating a caring society."

He was arguing that while the rights of workers are paramount, this should never be at the expense of the needs of society as a whole. By implication, he was urging that we exhaust the processes that have been democratically determined to address our interests without losing sight of our broader goals.

Furthermore, it is important that we recognise that we operate in a democratic environment that was not unilaterally determined. All parties involved agreed to this and accepted it. Of course, if we want to bring about changes, we should be using those same structures, principles and procedures for that purpose. In the short time that I have been at the helm of Correctional Services, there appears to be a small minority of individuals who prefer not to be subjected to democratic principles. My perception is that they are either ignoring these principles or perhaps they are not aware of them. The latter appears to be far-fetched. So why then, this almost anarchist approach to dealing with matters?

It is a matter that must be addressed by both the national and provincial leadership of POPCRU. As Correctional Services, we remain committed to those principles. If there is a perception that we are being obstructionist in our approach in dealing with matters, then we must sit down and unpack those issues. An unfortunate tendency has taken hold whereby we resort to the media to air our grievances instead of sitting down and developing a common understanding and a solution to the problems that we are confronted with. We also constantly find ourselves in the courtroom, wasting energy, resources and time to fight battles that do not belong there. I have always argued that courtrooms do not necessarily provide lasting solutions. There is no substitute for getting into a room and trashing out differences, away from the glare of the media and away from courtrooms.

I have given notice to your national leadership that I will pursue an open door policy in my dealings with you. In return, I will expect nothing less from POPCRU. I would expect POPCRU and its members to communicate with me and the Department through the structures and channels that have been created for such purposes. I would expect both my department and POPCRU to honour all agreements. Where we differ, it would be up to the respective leaderships to open discussions and negotiate.

If there are elements who believe that confrontation is an option, I am more than willing to face that head-on. Confrontation begets confrontation and I will not steer away from it where I believe it is unreasonable and unjustified. I have confidence in the administrative and operational leadership of Correctional Services under Commissioner Linda Mti. The Commissioner has a mandate to fulfil that he derives from the people of South Africa. As the executing authority, I have a mandate to fulfil entrusted to me by President Mbeki. So too, does the leadership of POPCRU have a mandate to fulfil derived from its members.

We have not derived these mandates from a thumb-suck. It is not even necessarily our personal preferences. It is the institutions that we represent that determined these mandates. We have accepted to implement it on their behalf. It could very easily have been others with this responsibility. It is, therefore, important that we move away from personalizing issues and challenging the integrity of each other where there is no basis for such challenge. We need to maintain the institutional relationship and move away from a growing tendency to target individuals unfairly when they attempt to carry out their respective mandates according to agreed principles.

If our respective mandates are in conflict with each other or if there are more points of differences and disputes than areas of common agreement, then we would have to get into a room and trash them out until we reach solutions. But there is no place for grandstanding and ambushing.

As much as I am expected to instil discipline and order in Correctional Services, the same is expected from the leadership of POPCRU. If, through instilling discipline and order, it results in conflict, so be it. I will deal with it.

We owe it to the people of our country to deliver on the People's Contract. We owe it to our members, those placed under our care, our families and communities to give practical effect to the implementation of the White Paper on Corrections. It demands of us to ensure that the Strategic Plans of the Department are implemented and that such implementation is measured and monitored.

To do that, requires partnerships. It requires commitment and it requires leadership. There is a need for creative co-operation. There is a need for inter-dependence but there is also a need to value differences.

It is Stephen R. Covey who wrote, "... the key to valuing those differences is to realize that all people see the world, not as it is, but as they are."

As Correctional officials, we perceive the world and our circumstances as seen through our eyes, our experiences and our conditions. Inmates, likewise, see the world through their experiences. Our communities and society see the world of Correctional Services through their experiences and encounters with us. In all of this, there is a lot of negativity, quite often misplaced because we do not value each other's differences.

Instead, we are caught up by our own prejudices and limitations. It is through pursuing meaningful partnerships that we will be able to broaden our horizons and work towards the common good of doing more and better for all our people, including ourselves!

I accept that there are issues that POPCRU feel strongly about. I accept that there might be a perception that your efforts are being frustrated. I am mindful of matters such as remuneration, medical-aid benefits, the wearing of insignia, the overtime and weekly establishment, the safety and security of members and career-pathing. These are all matters that should be discussed and debated within POPCRU. After all, you are a trade union looking after the interests of your members. It is important that as POPCRU, you continue in the tradition of the progressive trade union movement by deriving mandates from your members through a process of consultation. It is important that leadership take their members with them on all issues, avoiding the danger of being out of touch with feelings on the shop floor. It is important that you continue articulating those issues that are pertinent to the interests of the workers that you represent.

All these issues can and must be addressed. Through meetings of the Departmental Bargaining Council, we have an avenue to tackle these matters. We need to exhaust all processes in finding common ground and as I have indicated, my office and that of the Deputy Minister will always be open.

But there are also other issues that POPCRU should be feeling similarly strong about. These include deliberate neglect of duty by members, the failure to comply with reasonable instructions and policy, corrupt practices and maladministration, and the aiding and abetting of escapes either through negligence or complicity.

Would we not be true to our commitment to transformation and a better life for all if we pay as much attention to our responsibilities as we do to our needs? Would our needs not be easier attainable if we commit ourselves to eradicating those practices that result in both human and physical resources being directed away from that for what they are intended?

In your deliberations and your resolutions, I would ask you to be mindful of the issues that I have raised. I would ask you to strike a balance between seeing the world as it is and as we are. Let us show appreciation for differences and through vigorous debate and argument, find solutions to the benefit of all. It is also important that Congress deliberate the role of leadership in dealing with acts of ill-discipline, illegal actions, the disruption of essential services and the like in the same manner that you deliberate the role of leadership in dealing with workers' interests. That will be the hallmark of our commitment to transformation and seeking a better life for all.

It is my hope that Congress will arrive at decisions that will promote and advance our democracy; that would give effect to Vision 2014 and that would point in the direction of pragmatic contributions for the next five years.

To the outgoing leadership, only you and your members would know whether you have delivered on your mandate. To all those who have availed themselves for both re-election and election, may you accept the outcome of the democratic processes and remain true to the aims and objectives of POPCRU.

To Congress delegates, on your shoulders rest the responsibility to report accurately, honestly and fairly to your members. You have a responsibility to build the organization but you also have a responsibility to contribute towards the building of our nation. Both are huge responsibilities but never at the expense of the other.

I thank you.

Issued by: Ministry of Correctional Services
8 June 2004

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