Date: 26/06/2003
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Neer: Summit on police killings in Queenstown, Eastern Cape
SPEECH BY EASTERN CAPE MEC DENNIS NEER OF PROVINCIAL SAFETY AND LIAISON AT THE POLICE KILLINGS SUMMIT, Queenstown, 26 June 2003
Programme Director
Provincial Commissioner
Honourable Mayor
Area Commissioners
Members of the Provincial & Area Board
Honourable Guests
Leaders & Members of the Community
Our national Minister deemed it appropriates to engage on a serious campaign to fight the scourge of police killings which has increased alarmingly now.
It is indeed that period that we settle down and take stock of what we have achieved this far. In counting the mileage we have covered this far, this moves parallel with the momentum at which we lose our policemen and women of our country. While this carnage continues to affect our people in and out of service we should also in the same vein take an inward look to ourselves. These days it is becoming normal to see a uniformed officer having taken much alcoholic beverage to an extent of being seen by the very community they are supposed to protect. Some of these incidents make our personnel vulnerable to criminals and that their duty weapons get confiscated. This gathering takes place in the wake of a clarion call by the National Minister to declare war on police killings. A summit held in East London laid the profound basis for our Province to declare war on police killings culminating in the National Summit on the subject matter in Gauteng Province. This therefore marks a challenge to this area of Queenstown. It is upon us based upon the agreements of East London and Pretoria to design our own strategy focusing on our own dynamics of the area.
We are therefore gathered here today to pledge our support to continue the struggle on police killings. Our National Commissioner declared in the recent past that our police shall defend themselves when cornered and confronted with armed violent criminal. Our National Commissioner must not be construed to suggest that our police should apply random brute force as it occurred in the past regime. In this nine years of our democracy we have lost quite a substantial number of our officers with more in the line of duty and some other incidents. We continue to express our view that a single policeman/ woman lost in the line of duty is but one too many. Single officer accounts for more than two to five thousand civilians as the comparative ratio is quite large apart. Our country as a developmental state encourages its police personnel to close ranks with the communities it serves to ensure a joint effort in fighting crime.
Ladies and Gentlemen
The theoretical basis at which we draft our strategies should and must be informed by objective realities obtaining in our society. I do hope in earnest that these summits shall not be the end in themselves rather continuous practical and realistic platforms aimed at taking the process forward. It has become traditional to us to take well thought decisions and resolutions only to decorate our filing cabinets. Theory without practice is meaningless and practice without theory is fruitless. We gather here to be able to declare that, we have achieved this and that. Review and accountability should be our catchwords in our endeavour to fight this scourge.
Area Commissioner
The East London Summit identified quite a number of reasons that lead to the killing of our police. Among those are the negligence in our personnel as I have earlier on alluded, working without colleagues - carrying firearm and uniform while going to amuse themselves in taverns and also not wearing protective clothing. The summit took into account the wrong interpretation of legislation especially CPA Section 29, Judiciary system which may not issue out deterrent sentencing as well as gun control which allows anyone to have easy access to guns.
The summit further noted with concern the issue of collusion between police and community. Some of the reasons that encourage this scourge are known to us and the question arise, what do we do. It is upon this gathering to brainstorm and bring to the fore attainable and workable solutions, timed and monitored for progress.
Community Leaders
Ours is a long journey of sweat and toil. It is a journey that seeks to thoroughly train our people to love the police and respect the law. The legacy of the past created a strong enmity between people and police. Awareness should be created that our police are human beings and family members like any citizen in South Africa.
It is not my wish to put words to this gathering as this baby is yours in this area, nature it, let it crawl, walk and talk. It must have the most venomous teeth against police killings. It must jump the length of a kangaroo and sprint like a cheetah to capture its prey. This area is known to you like the lines in the palm of your hands.
Your deliberations must bring forth resounding success of this great campaign. Our people should revert to "Operation Mpimpa" Our gathering here should cement our resolve in building peoples contract for a better future. We converge here charged by our President and the Supreme Law of the land our Constitution to maximize our hold and defence of a just society.
In concluding my note of encouragement, I wish to reiterate the fact that when we pledged our unity in action, we dare not fail the families of our fallen colleagues through the same route. Let me take this opportunity to salute all of us who unwaveringly took their pedals to steer this ship forward. Once more let this be on its own, similarly other campaigns we have launched should continue at higher momentum.
I thank you
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za)
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
Title: Neer: Summit on police killings in Queenstown, Eastern Cape
SPEECH BY EASTERN CAPE MEC DENNIS NEER OF PROVINCIAL SAFETY AND LIAISON AT THE POLICE KILLINGS SUMMIT, Queenstown, 26 June 2003
Programme Director
Provincial Commissioner
Honourable Mayor
Area Commissioners
Members of the Provincial & Area Board
Honourable Guests
Leaders & Members of the Community
Our national Minister deemed it appropriates to engage on a serious campaign to fight the scourge of police killings which has increased alarmingly now.
It is indeed that period that we settle down and take stock of what we have achieved this far. In counting the mileage we have covered this far, this moves parallel with the momentum at which we lose our policemen and women of our country. While this carnage continues to affect our people in and out of service we should also in the same vein take an inward look to ourselves. These days it is becoming normal to see a uniformed officer having taken much alcoholic beverage to an extent of being seen by the very community they are supposed to protect. Some of these incidents make our personnel vulnerable to criminals and that their duty weapons get confiscated. This gathering takes place in the wake of a clarion call by the National Minister to declare war on police killings. A summit held in East London laid the profound basis for our Province to declare war on police killings culminating in the National Summit on the subject matter in Gauteng Province. This therefore marks a challenge to this area of Queenstown. It is upon us based upon the agreements of East London and Pretoria to design our own strategy focusing on our own dynamics of the area.
We are therefore gathered here today to pledge our support to continue the struggle on police killings. Our National Commissioner declared in the recent past that our police shall defend themselves when cornered and confronted with armed violent criminal. Our National Commissioner must not be construed to suggest that our police should apply random brute force as it occurred in the past regime. In this nine years of our democracy we have lost quite a substantial number of our officers with more in the line of duty and some other incidents. We continue to express our view that a single policeman/ woman lost in the line of duty is but one too many. Single officer accounts for more than two to five thousand civilians as the comparative ratio is quite large apart. Our country as a developmental state encourages its police personnel to close ranks with the communities it serves to ensure a joint effort in fighting crime.
Ladies and Gentlemen
The theoretical basis at which we draft our strategies should and must be informed by objective realities obtaining in our society. I do hope in earnest that these summits shall not be the end in themselves rather continuous practical and realistic platforms aimed at taking the process forward. It has become traditional to us to take well thought decisions and resolutions only to decorate our filing cabinets. Theory without practice is meaningless and practice without theory is fruitless. We gather here to be able to declare that, we have achieved this and that. Review and accountability should be our catchwords in our endeavour to fight this scourge.
Area Commissioner
The East London Summit identified quite a number of reasons that lead to the killing of our police. Among those are the negligence in our personnel as I have earlier on alluded, working without colleagues - carrying firearm and uniform while going to amuse themselves in taverns and also not wearing protective clothing. The summit took into account the wrong interpretation of legislation especially CPA Section 29, Judiciary system which may not issue out deterrent sentencing as well as gun control which allows anyone to have easy access to guns.
The summit further noted with concern the issue of collusion between police and community. Some of the reasons that encourage this scourge are known to us and the question arise, what do we do. It is upon this gathering to brainstorm and bring to the fore attainable and workable solutions, timed and monitored for progress.
Community Leaders
Ours is a long journey of sweat and toil. It is a journey that seeks to thoroughly train our people to love the police and respect the law. The legacy of the past created a strong enmity between people and police. Awareness should be created that our police are human beings and family members like any citizen in South Africa.
It is not my wish to put words to this gathering as this baby is yours in this area, nature it, let it crawl, walk and talk. It must have the most venomous teeth against police killings. It must jump the length of a kangaroo and sprint like a cheetah to capture its prey. This area is known to you like the lines in the palm of your hands.
Your deliberations must bring forth resounding success of this great campaign. Our people should revert to "Operation Mpimpa" Our gathering here should cement our resolve in building peoples contract for a better future. We converge here charged by our President and the Supreme Law of the land our Constitution to maximize our hold and defence of a just society.
In concluding my note of encouragement, I wish to reiterate the fact that when we pledged our unity in action, we dare not fail the families of our fallen colleagues through the same route. Let me take this opportunity to salute all of us who unwaveringly took their pedals to steer this ship forward. Once more let this be on its own, similarly other campaigns we have launched should continue at higher momentum.
I thank you
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za)
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