Speech by Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Sibusiso Ndebele at the launch of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster in Pietermaritzburg

During the State of the Province Address on 14 February this year, we said we had established political peace in KwaZulu-Natal. We, however, pointed out that we were now challenged by crimes against the person and property. We noted that our people are being killed for a different form of card; the credit card, bank card and cell phone SIM cards.

Like all citizens of our country we believe that, like in every other country in the world, there is crime in our province. But we are here today, precisely, because we know that, working together in partnership, we are not only capable of arresting crime but also that we will beat crime.

We know this is correct because last year KwaZulu-Natal had the highest incidence of cash-in-transit heists. We shall remember that hardly a fortnight went by without some incident being reported. As a result of a major crack down by the South African Police Service (SAPS) a number of suspects involved in motor vehicle hijackings and cash heists were arrested. As a result of this intervention, the heists are down to almost zero in KwaZulu-Natal.

The SAPS in KwaZulu-Natal has also uncovered huge drug syndicates and tracked down some of the most wanted criminals in the country. Organised and sophisticated crimes are consistently being foiled and dealt decisive blows through the combined efforts of the police services, traffic police and financial institutions. We have taken 40 000 firearms out of circulation.

In KwaZulu-Natal we used to have faction fighting. Today we have moved away from this, thanks to the efforts of the rural communities, the SAPS and the traditional leaders. This year we called for the Popular Front against Crime. We seek to inculcate in the consciousness of our people a new view of crime (i.e.) that it is dastardly, shameful and against the values of democracy. We are creating a new cadre of activists in the war against crime and criminality in order to move towards the development of a secure future for all our people.

Criminality is out of fashion! A criminal ain't my hero! This is the message we want to send to our people. During the State of the Nation Address on 9 February this year President Thabo Mbeki called on government to ensure that the decisions already taken about strengthening our fight against crime are effectively implemented.

It is appropriate that we repeat his words and I quote:

"The challenge that we face in addressing this issue has little to do with policies. Rather, what we require is effective organisation, mobilisation and leadership of the mass law enforcement, intelligence and corrections officers and functionaries of the justice system." We are here today to translate these words into action as we launch the KZN JCPS. This is part of implementing the decisions already taken and takes the fight against crime a step closer to victory."

Through this launch we seek to improve the operation of the Criminal Justice System and the Provincial Integrated Justice (PIJ) Forum. The PIJ Forum, which is chaired by a judge, includes the SAPS, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, the Department of Correctional Services, the Department of Community Safety and Liaison and the Department of Welfare. Through this Forum, a mechanism exists for a comprehensive response to the strengthening of the Criminal Justice System.

Legislative Environment

Chapter 11 of the Constitution entitles the Province through its Department of Community Safety and Liaison to monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of policing. We are also charged with the promotion of good relations between the police and communities.

The White Paper on Safety and Security, 1999 to 2004, indicates that the Provincial responsibilities are:

a. initiating and co-ordinating social crime prevention programmes
b. mobilising resources for social crime range of provincial functions in order to achieve more effective crime prevention
d. evaluating and supporting the social crime prevention programmes at local government level
e. implementing and taking joint responsibilities for social crime prevention
f. establishing crime prevention programmes in areas where local government is poorly resourced or lacks capacity and the establishing of public and private partnerships to support crime prevention.

According to The National Crime Prevention Strategy, 1996 (Revised 1999) the department has a responsibility to in line with the National Crime Prevention Strategy; establish a Provincial Crime Prevention Strategy for the province. Today's activities are part of that process.

One of the challenges we face in dealing with crime is fractured inter-governmental co-operation, collaboration and responses between and within all spheres of government. In response to this, as government, we have taken the decision to take urgent steps:

* to co-ordinate provincial and local implementation of the JCPS cluster priorities
* to ensure alignment of activities between national and provincial/local government
* to monitor and report on implementation progress and challenges at provincial and local level.

The KZN JCPS is chaired by the MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Bheki Cele. In part, we are seeking to ensure that strategic planners from different spheres of government communicate and plan on common issues, which affect our local communities.

On 21 and 22 May 2007, we hosted a Provincial Crime Summit in Durban. The Summit was aimed at promoting integration and an Interim Committee comprising representatives from the SAPS, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Justice and Community Safety and Liaison was established. This was in order to co-ordinate the formation of the KwaZulu-Natal Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cabinet Cluster.

In line with resolutions taken at the Crime Summit, the KZN JCPS Cluster will develop a Provincial Programme of Action for the cluster. This programme will address priority crimes while strengthening relations with business and the community. We need to be upfront with the role communities must play in the fight against crime. While it is understandable to fear crime, we cannot be paralysed by it. This is why the theme for the launch of the KZN JCPS Cluster today is "Fighting crime, together with communities."

So what are some of the challenges we face in dealing with crime in our province?

We have found that the increase in the fear of crime is out of proportion to the actual increase of crimes. We have also realised that we do not have sustained community participation in Anti-Crime activities. As we have said we find fractured responses by government agencies and departments.

Current Programmes

We have already started the Volunteer Social Crime Prevention Programme (VSCPP). It is envisaged that this programme will lead to a reduction in social crime, a corresponding reduction in the fear of crime and the promotion of KwaZulu-Natal as a safe place for communities, tourists and businesses. We started with 1 000 volunteers. This will rise to 2 100 over the build up to 2010.

For this purpose an amount of R20 million has been allocated by the Provincial Treasury over the 2007/08 financial year. This amount will rise to R35 million for the 2008/09 financial year and R50 million for the 2009/10 financial year.

The Department of Community Safety and Liaison has already developed Guidelines for the Integration of Safety Plans into Integrated Development Plans (IDPs). This forms part of the department's Local Government Capacity Building Programme which targets municipal officials who are involved in the development of IDPs, Safety Plans and the integration process. This programme supports municipalities in ensuring the participation of Local Government in safety policy making processes. This includes the promotion of IDP Safety Plans and the establishment of Community Safety Coning process. Community Safety Forums initiated at district level will begin to design co-operation strategies between law enforcement structures that will eventually lead to the overall smooth functioning of the Criminal Justice System.

Role of Traditional Leaders

The department has to date trained 215 Amakhosi on a crime prevention module developed in partnership with the University of Zululand. This year we intend to continue cascading the same training to other levels of Traditional Leadership and also extend it to various religious groupings.

Communities in Dialogue

In 2006 we announced the Communities in Dialogue Programme. We have ongoing programmes in Ezakheni and Charlestown over land issues. It is our intention as the government of KwaZulu-Natal to mobilise communities to assume responsibility for peace, stability and safer places to live, through Proactive Community Dialogue Sessions. We believe that the success of these dialogues would ensure that peace is sustained and crime drastically reduced. This programme has become an important resource for our local leadership to promote peace and security and improve the "state of their villages."

Community Police Forums

The department oversees the establishment of Community Police Forums (CPFs), structures that enhance capacity and supplements policing resources. CPFs are pertinent in preventing, responding and providing lasting solutions to the levels of social crime in our province. Last year CPFs benefited to the tune of three million rands from the department.

Role of Youth

The department will continue to train youth at district level on social crime prevention and release a Youth Crime Prevention music CD containing various messages discouraging youth involvement in crime. The department will also host the Annual International Youth Conference of the United Nations Habitat in Durban next year.

We have specifically targeted the Youth in view of the importance of the fact that many of them are victims of crime. Without the participation of the Youth, programmes for moral regeneration, stolen goods and places of safety would not have the desired impact.

In particular the Stolen Goods Market remains a challenge. We are already doing the following to address this phenomenon:

* discouraging support of the stolen goods market
* canvassing the causes and impact of this type of crime on the economy, primary and secondary victims as well as market participants
* emphasising the family as a unit to fight this type of crime
* reducing the strength and prevalence of the stolen goods market leading up to the 2010 Soccer World Cup and beyond.

Programme Director, the war against crime is winnable. It is do-able. It is now my singular honour and privilege to officially launch the KwaZulu-Natal JCPS.

Masisikume Sakhe iKwaZulu Natal!

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
23 June 2007