Date: 05/08/2003
Source: Ministry of Safety and Security
Title: Nqakula: Media briefing following Cabinet Lekgotla
JUSTICE, CRIME PREVENTION AND SECURITY (JCPS) CLUSTER POST CABINET LEKGOTLA MEDIA BRIEFING PRESENTED BY THE MINISTER OF SAFETY AND SECURITY, MR CHARLES NQAKULA, 5 August 2003
The mid-year Cabinet Lekgotla was held from 23 - 25 July 2003. It dealt with many issues pertaining to the work of government.
These included:
* Initial reflection on the trends in social transformation in the period since the advent of democracy in 1994;
* Medium-term projects meant as quickly as possible to improve people's quality of life; and
* Interventions required in each cluster to improve the impact of government programmes.
Central in government's approach to the implementation of its programme is the confidence that the tide has turned and that faster progress depends on South Africans joining hands to build a people's contract for a better life.
Cabinet notes that the Lekgotla was the penultimate such arrangement before the end of the First Decade of Freedom in April 2004. The occasion therefore afforded Cabinet the opportunity for initial reflection on the main trends in the programme of social transformation and on the major opportunities and challenges as we approach the Second Decade.
The Lekgotla noted, from in-depth research and analysis done, that massive progress had been made in building a democratic state based on the will of the people, in attacking poverty and neglect that characterised social relations under apartheid, in setting the economy on a sustainable growth path, in entrenching safety and security among South Africans and in placing the country at the forefront of Africa's development and equitable global relations.
Noting that conditions in areas of endeavour are incomparable to those obtaining under apartheid, Cabinet asserted that the starting point in determining progress should be the objectives that the democratic state set itself. In this regard, the overwhelming evidence is that government has met its most immediate objectives set out in the Reconstruction and Development Programme.
This is borne out by progress made in major areas of human development such as freedom and the culture of human rights, legitimacy of the state, education, healthcare, provision of water and sanitation, access to electricity, macro-economic balances, orientation and ethos of security structures and relations with governments, international institutions and peoples of the world.
Many of the indicators of progress are contained in the results of Census 2001, published by Statistics South Africa a few weeks ago. It was noted that many challenges remain - most of them reflect the legacy of apartheid and others a consequence of the very freedom and development the new state has introduced. Among these, are the challenging demographic patterns represented by increases in the number (or in the reduction in the size) of households, the massive increase in the economically active population compared to the number of jobs the economy is creating, changes in the structure of the economy and migration trends.
Cabinet charged the cluster Directors-General to continue with detailed assessment of, and planning on these issues, in order to inform a more comprehensive discussion at the January Lekgotla. It also instructed clusters to weigh their detailed plan against a set of broad scenarios presented to the Lekgotla.
Preliminary results and conclusions arising from the research will be made available to the public in the coming months.
The JCPS cluster has determined it needs to improve coordination significantly between its departments at the provincial and local levels. This would make room for better implementation of cluster priorities based on specific circumstances obtaining in a particular area.
The cluster has further discussed the need for collective budgeting for the cross-cutting priorities it deals with. It also intends to improve the manner in which it establishes and manages its interdepartmental task teams. In part, this would be done through developing clear terms of reference that would include precise goals and performance indicators.
The cluster needs to improve the capacity of its officials, particularly in respect of many critical challenges, the focus areas of its intelligence structures, the development and implementation of a rehabilitation programme in Correctional Services, the execution of borderline security, the continued implementation of Integrated Justice System (IJS), to name but a few.
The cluster needs to develop an early warning that would inform government about prospective and impending crises. An example is that when the capacity and efficiency of the SAPS and the NPA get considerably improved, it should be expected that, with time, Correctional Services would be faced with the problem of overcrowding, down the value chain.
Resources: Challenges from External Factors
The cluster will require additional resources in respect to several priorities if they are to be implemented successfully. The important examples in this regard include:
* The operationalisation of the protection and services division of the SAPS;
* The resources that the SAPS would have to be provided with if it is to fill the gap that will be left with the phasing out of the commandos;
* The need to equip appropriately the forensic laboratory capability of the SAPS;
* The implementation of the IJS;
* The need to reduce backlog of cases pending trial;
* The need to implement appropriate infrastructure at ports of entry.
Coordination with other clusters
There is need to effect significant improvements in cooperation and coordination with other clusters. Clear terms of reference will have to be developed to address this. There are several priorities to be dealt with, within this context, but the most important one relates to the implementation of social crime prevention initiatives, dealing with children in prison (in this regard the need to provide care facilities and establish reform schools, particularly where they do not exist); and implementing the provisions of the drugs master plan.
Partnerships with civil society
There is an urgent need to improve the manner in which the cluster interacts and builds partnerships with organs of civil society and community based organisations. These would be important in respect of general partnerships against crime, particularly at local level. These partnerships would also be important in respect of reducing and preventing sexual assault crimes and dealing with problems of drugs and substance abuse.
Adequate security measures on government
Government departments need to continue implementing appropriate security measures. A part of this relates to the need to enforce tightly regulations governing the movements and activities of diplomats accredited to South Africa.
Policy challenges
Firearms
The cluster urgently requires a measure to augment considerably its assault on the problem of firearms, often used particularly in respect of serious and violent crime. In this regard, the cluster would propose that a conditional amnesty be provided for people to hand over voluntarily their firearms (in particular, illegal firearms) to appropriate law enforcement authorities.
It is intended that all firearms handed over would be subject to ballistic tests, so that the state can finalise outstanding investigation. The amnesty would be applicable for a limited period of time.
An Integrated National Security Strategy
An urgent need to develop a cogent integrated security strategy from its several elements that currently reside with the cluster departments was recognized. Related to this is the need to improve the functioning of the national security management system.
Transformation of the Judiciary
Notwithstanding the gains realised to date, the government needs to continue paying attention to other important aspects of transformation within the judiciary.
Awaiting Trial Prisoners
The cluster is currently debating questions on awaiting trial prisoners. A number of issues being discussed in this regard are:
* Which dept should be responsible for awaiting trail prisoners;
* The fact that these inmates cannot be subjected to any rehabilitation programme because they are still presumed to be innocent;
* That government cannot budget for them;
* That in some instances, as a result of overcrowding, these inmates are not separated from convicted prisoners;
* Application of procedures and privileges that apply to awaiting trail prisoners.
Phasing out Commandos
In his State of the Nation address, the President announced the phasing out of commandos in the next six years to be replaced by a new SAPS recruitment system based on the National Instruction for Reservists. This system is linked to various initiatives which form the national crime combating strategy's normalisation phase, such as the drastic increase in SAPS personnel over the next three years, the restructuring of specialised investigation units, the implementation of sector policing and the establishment of crime combating units for each police area.
The new reservist system will ensure that the phasing out of the commando system creates no vacuum. Reservists are in the process of being recruited from existing structures such as the SANDF commandos and the more than 75 000 volunteers who participated in the Letsema campaign.
Home Affairs
The biggest responsibility facing this dept presently is to prepare for next year's general elections. Due to the large number of vacant posts in the Department, the workload has escalated by an approximate 275% over the past seven years. The filling of 349 posts, recently advertised, is urgent.
The Department has finalised its proposal regarding its restructuring through the establishment of ten regions viz. KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Free State, Western Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Eastern Cape, Gauteng East and Gauteng West. The Business Analysis Team has just finalised the Head Office structure of the Department.
Correctional Services
As this department is in the people-business, it needs people with competencies, skills and understanding for the department to be effective. Over and above that, the DCS training has been inappropriate in its current focus and has had a gap in management training for many years.
To development a human resource development strategy aimed at retraining all members, including management and aligning all training with rehabilitation and secure and safe custody focus of the department while avoiding duplication of training facilities and other resources that might be available within the JCPS departments, the multi-skilling of all personnel is a matter of urgency.
The department is pioneering a new paradigm in correctness for South Africa, premised on constitutional principles:
* The development of curriculum for training at entry level
* The development of short courses on re-orientation of officials on the correction's new paradigm
* The development of an executive leadership programme for senior management, and
* The development of management competency at junior and middle management levels.
Overcrowding and the management of awaiting trial prisoners are seen as JCPS issue. The department's main focus is on rehabilitation.
The National Intelligence Agency
The National Intelligence Agency is concentrating on the following areas and intelligence themes:
1. International Terrorism
The main focus revolves around:
* Monitoring South African compliance to international terrorism treaties
* Monitor local support of international terrorist groups e.g. Al Qaeda
* Monitoring international terrorism and related trends with a view of ascertaining their impact on South Africa
2. Domestic Terrorism
The focus in this area is on:
* Urban Terrorism
* Extremism, and
* Cyber-terrorism
Issued by Ministry of Safety and Security
5 August 2003
Source: Ministry of Safety and Security
Title: Nqakula: Media briefing following Cabinet Lekgotla
JUSTICE, CRIME PREVENTION AND SECURITY (JCPS) CLUSTER POST CABINET LEKGOTLA MEDIA BRIEFING PRESENTED BY THE MINISTER OF SAFETY AND SECURITY, MR CHARLES NQAKULA, 5 August 2003
The mid-year Cabinet Lekgotla was held from 23 - 25 July 2003. It dealt with many issues pertaining to the work of government.
These included:
* Initial reflection on the trends in social transformation in the period since the advent of democracy in 1994;
* Medium-term projects meant as quickly as possible to improve people's quality of life; and
* Interventions required in each cluster to improve the impact of government programmes.
Central in government's approach to the implementation of its programme is the confidence that the tide has turned and that faster progress depends on South Africans joining hands to build a people's contract for a better life.
Cabinet notes that the Lekgotla was the penultimate such arrangement before the end of the First Decade of Freedom in April 2004. The occasion therefore afforded Cabinet the opportunity for initial reflection on the main trends in the programme of social transformation and on the major opportunities and challenges as we approach the Second Decade.
The Lekgotla noted, from in-depth research and analysis done, that massive progress had been made in building a democratic state based on the will of the people, in attacking poverty and neglect that characterised social relations under apartheid, in setting the economy on a sustainable growth path, in entrenching safety and security among South Africans and in placing the country at the forefront of Africa's development and equitable global relations.
Noting that conditions in areas of endeavour are incomparable to those obtaining under apartheid, Cabinet asserted that the starting point in determining progress should be the objectives that the democratic state set itself. In this regard, the overwhelming evidence is that government has met its most immediate objectives set out in the Reconstruction and Development Programme.
This is borne out by progress made in major areas of human development such as freedom and the culture of human rights, legitimacy of the state, education, healthcare, provision of water and sanitation, access to electricity, macro-economic balances, orientation and ethos of security structures and relations with governments, international institutions and peoples of the world.
Many of the indicators of progress are contained in the results of Census 2001, published by Statistics South Africa a few weeks ago. It was noted that many challenges remain - most of them reflect the legacy of apartheid and others a consequence of the very freedom and development the new state has introduced. Among these, are the challenging demographic patterns represented by increases in the number (or in the reduction in the size) of households, the massive increase in the economically active population compared to the number of jobs the economy is creating, changes in the structure of the economy and migration trends.
Cabinet charged the cluster Directors-General to continue with detailed assessment of, and planning on these issues, in order to inform a more comprehensive discussion at the January Lekgotla. It also instructed clusters to weigh their detailed plan against a set of broad scenarios presented to the Lekgotla.
Preliminary results and conclusions arising from the research will be made available to the public in the coming months.
The JCPS cluster has determined it needs to improve coordination significantly between its departments at the provincial and local levels. This would make room for better implementation of cluster priorities based on specific circumstances obtaining in a particular area.
The cluster has further discussed the need for collective budgeting for the cross-cutting priorities it deals with. It also intends to improve the manner in which it establishes and manages its interdepartmental task teams. In part, this would be done through developing clear terms of reference that would include precise goals and performance indicators.
The cluster needs to improve the capacity of its officials, particularly in respect of many critical challenges, the focus areas of its intelligence structures, the development and implementation of a rehabilitation programme in Correctional Services, the execution of borderline security, the continued implementation of Integrated Justice System (IJS), to name but a few.
The cluster needs to develop an early warning that would inform government about prospective and impending crises. An example is that when the capacity and efficiency of the SAPS and the NPA get considerably improved, it should be expected that, with time, Correctional Services would be faced with the problem of overcrowding, down the value chain.
Resources: Challenges from External Factors
The cluster will require additional resources in respect to several priorities if they are to be implemented successfully. The important examples in this regard include:
* The operationalisation of the protection and services division of the SAPS;
* The resources that the SAPS would have to be provided with if it is to fill the gap that will be left with the phasing out of the commandos;
* The need to equip appropriately the forensic laboratory capability of the SAPS;
* The implementation of the IJS;
* The need to reduce backlog of cases pending trial;
* The need to implement appropriate infrastructure at ports of entry.
Coordination with other clusters
There is need to effect significant improvements in cooperation and coordination with other clusters. Clear terms of reference will have to be developed to address this. There are several priorities to be dealt with, within this context, but the most important one relates to the implementation of social crime prevention initiatives, dealing with children in prison (in this regard the need to provide care facilities and establish reform schools, particularly where they do not exist); and implementing the provisions of the drugs master plan.
Partnerships with civil society
There is an urgent need to improve the manner in which the cluster interacts and builds partnerships with organs of civil society and community based organisations. These would be important in respect of general partnerships against crime, particularly at local level. These partnerships would also be important in respect of reducing and preventing sexual assault crimes and dealing with problems of drugs and substance abuse.
Adequate security measures on government
Government departments need to continue implementing appropriate security measures. A part of this relates to the need to enforce tightly regulations governing the movements and activities of diplomats accredited to South Africa.
Policy challenges
Firearms
The cluster urgently requires a measure to augment considerably its assault on the problem of firearms, often used particularly in respect of serious and violent crime. In this regard, the cluster would propose that a conditional amnesty be provided for people to hand over voluntarily their firearms (in particular, illegal firearms) to appropriate law enforcement authorities.
It is intended that all firearms handed over would be subject to ballistic tests, so that the state can finalise outstanding investigation. The amnesty would be applicable for a limited period of time.
An Integrated National Security Strategy
An urgent need to develop a cogent integrated security strategy from its several elements that currently reside with the cluster departments was recognized. Related to this is the need to improve the functioning of the national security management system.
Transformation of the Judiciary
Notwithstanding the gains realised to date, the government needs to continue paying attention to other important aspects of transformation within the judiciary.
Awaiting Trial Prisoners
The cluster is currently debating questions on awaiting trial prisoners. A number of issues being discussed in this regard are:
* Which dept should be responsible for awaiting trail prisoners;
* The fact that these inmates cannot be subjected to any rehabilitation programme because they are still presumed to be innocent;
* That government cannot budget for them;
* That in some instances, as a result of overcrowding, these inmates are not separated from convicted prisoners;
* Application of procedures and privileges that apply to awaiting trail prisoners.
Phasing out Commandos
In his State of the Nation address, the President announced the phasing out of commandos in the next six years to be replaced by a new SAPS recruitment system based on the National Instruction for Reservists. This system is linked to various initiatives which form the national crime combating strategy's normalisation phase, such as the drastic increase in SAPS personnel over the next three years, the restructuring of specialised investigation units, the implementation of sector policing and the establishment of crime combating units for each police area.
The new reservist system will ensure that the phasing out of the commando system creates no vacuum. Reservists are in the process of being recruited from existing structures such as the SANDF commandos and the more than 75 000 volunteers who participated in the Letsema campaign.
Home Affairs
The biggest responsibility facing this dept presently is to prepare for next year's general elections. Due to the large number of vacant posts in the Department, the workload has escalated by an approximate 275% over the past seven years. The filling of 349 posts, recently advertised, is urgent.
The Department has finalised its proposal regarding its restructuring through the establishment of ten regions viz. KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Free State, Western Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Eastern Cape, Gauteng East and Gauteng West. The Business Analysis Team has just finalised the Head Office structure of the Department.
Correctional Services
As this department is in the people-business, it needs people with competencies, skills and understanding for the department to be effective. Over and above that, the DCS training has been inappropriate in its current focus and has had a gap in management training for many years.
To development a human resource development strategy aimed at retraining all members, including management and aligning all training with rehabilitation and secure and safe custody focus of the department while avoiding duplication of training facilities and other resources that might be available within the JCPS departments, the multi-skilling of all personnel is a matter of urgency.
The department is pioneering a new paradigm in correctness for South Africa, premised on constitutional principles:
* The development of curriculum for training at entry level
* The development of short courses on re-orientation of officials on the correction's new paradigm
* The development of an executive leadership programme for senior management, and
* The development of management competency at junior and middle management levels.
Overcrowding and the management of awaiting trial prisoners are seen as JCPS issue. The department's main focus is on rehabilitation.
The National Intelligence Agency
The National Intelligence Agency is concentrating on the following areas and intelligence themes:
1. International Terrorism
The main focus revolves around:
* Monitoring South African compliance to international terrorism treaties
* Monitor local support of international terrorist groups e.g. Al Qaeda
* Monitoring international terrorism and related trends with a view of ascertaining their impact on South Africa
2. Domestic Terrorism
The focus in this area is on:
* Urban Terrorism
* Extremism, and
* Cyber-terrorism
Issued by Ministry of Safety and Security
5 August 2003
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