The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes that Police spokesperson Sally de Beer has said that she will be releasing details on Friday regarding the costs associated with National Police Day – an event which we have been told by sources inside the SAPS will require 30,000 police officers to travel to Johannesburg to attend a speech given by the police commissioner at Orlando Stadium.

We hope that the Department makes good on its promise to release all of the details about this event. However, the precedent is not encouraging. On 
24 January last year, after the DA broke the news of the first of these ‘morale-boosting’ national police day events, police spokeswoman Nonkululeko Mbatha told the South African Press Association: "the full cost of the event will be released tomorrow". Exactly a year later, the police department still has not done so. 
 
This is in spite of the fact that I have submitted two separate parliamentary questions on the matter. They both received entirely inadequate responses from the Police Minister:
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Question 158. Ms D Kohler-Barnard (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:
(1) (a) Why was it compulsory for SA Police Service members to attend the 2010 National Police Day event held in Bloemfontein, (b) what would have been the disciplinary ramifications for those who failed to attend, (c) what selection process took place to determine which SAPS members would attend and which not and (d) how many SAPS members (i) were asked to attend the event in each province, (ii) did not return to duty the following Monday morning and (iii) handed in sick leave certificates showing that they were unable to attend the event;
(2) whether the SAPS members who attended the event were considered to be on duty; if not, why not; if so,
(3) whether any action will be taken against those SAPS members who were consuming excessive amounts of alcohol at the event; if not, why not; if so, what action;
(4) (a) how many SAPS members (i) are currently deployed at each police station countrywide and (ii) from each station were asked to attend the event, (b) what was the effect on crime levels in each province in relation to the removal of the SAPS members for the three-day period, including the subsequent leave time taken and (c) who was responsible for the provision of food for SAPS members during the three-day period of travelling and at the event;
(5) whether any animals were slaughtered for this event; if so, (a) how many, (b) at what cost and (c) where?
NW167E
 
REPLY (Minister of Police):
This is (sic) National day which is observed every year.
 
Question 157. Ms D Kohler-Barnard (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:
(1) (a) What (i) was the total amount budgeted for the 2010 National Police Day event held in Bloemfontein by the SA Police Service, (ii) was the total amount spent on this event and (iii) were the amounts utilised in each province and (b) from what section of the budget will the amount be sourced;
(2) what specific amounts were (a) budgeted and (b) spent on (i) bus transport, (ii) train transport, (iii) any other transport, (iv) accommodation, (v) venue hire, (vi) entertainment, (vii) food and beverages, (viii) overtime pay for officers covering shifts for those attending the event, (ix) overtime pay for officers covering shifts during the period of leave given to attendees after the event and (x) any other costs incurred as a result of holding this event?
NW166E

REPLY (Minister of Police):
The budget for the 2010 National Police Day is covered in the overall budget of the department on a yearly basis.
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The Democratic Alliance believes the Department needs to show it has measures in place to mitigate the effect of removing 1 in 5 uniformed officers from police stations around the country. We also need to know what this year’s event will cost. And indeed what last year’s event cost.

We understand that the cost of this event is at least R50 million, and believe that regional or provincial Police Day events, which celebrated the achievements of individual officers, rather than pandering to the ego of the police commissioner, would have been a better way of boosting morale in our police ranks. This is particularly relevant, given the degeneration of last year’s event, and the fact that numerous officers reported being forced to attend an event with inadequately arranged transport and food, and insufficient ablution facilities.

The DA therefore hopes that the Police Department will not once again go back on their pledge to act with transparency and openness about the costs associated with this event. If governments serve the people rather than the other way around, then the public has a right to know how much this event will be costing, whether officers are being catered for adequately, and whether the event will actually serve any purpose.