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Date : 27/09/2006
Source: South African Police Service
Title: Nqakula: Monitoring and Evaluation Media Briefing September 2006


Media briefing on Justice, Crime Prevention and Security cluster by Charles Nqakula, Minister for Safety and Security

Crime Prevention and Combating

Crime reduction

The reduction of serious and violent crime by 7-10 % annually with a review in the pipeline in 2009 continues to be the focus of the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster of Cabinet. Our crime prevention and combating tactics are informed by that strategic goal.

There were various operations from the middle of June to the end of July where the focus was on contact crimes. A total of 5 956 firearms were recovered during that period as part of an on-going project to reduce the circulation of illegal firearms in South Africa. We also destroyed 23 482 of the firearms we collected.

Organised Crime Syndicates

Particular attention is being paid to organised crime. Between June and July more than 15 syndicate leaders and 51 runners were arrested.

Border Control and Security

The Department of Defence (DOD) schedule for the closure of Commando (Territorial Reserves) Units across the country is well under way and will be completed by April 2009. The Department of Defence and the South African Police Service have been working closely to ensure that security in the handover process is not compromised.

The co-operation between the two departments has ensured a smooth handover of borderline control from Defence to SAPS. The current focus is on the South Africa/Lesotho border. SAPS members have been deployed at the borders between Limpopo and Zimbabwe, Northern Cape and Namibia/Botswana, North West and Botswana, Free State and Lesotho, Eastern Cape and Lesotho and KwaZulu-Natal and Lesotho.

The Border Control Co-ordinating Committee (BCOCC), working together with the Department of Public Works, is working within schedule to complete the construction and upgrading of ports of entry. The project includes the installation of modern technology with improved satellite and electronic surveillance systems.

Reduction of Overcrowding in Correctional Centres

The National Overcrowding Task Team (NOTT) is accelerating its work to complete their planning programme to for new measures to reduce overcrowding at the country's Correctional Centres. The plans will be submitted to the JCPS for implementation.

The team is already making interventions that include the marketing of the concept of non-custodial sentencing for those who pose little or no serious danger to society. More than 2 295 offenders who fall into that category have been released to date with more releases envisaged soon.

Transformation of the Judiciary

A draft Legal Services Charter has been published for comment, following the holding of a strategy session, the Legal Services Charter Indaba, in August. The session was part of the consultative process with key stakeholders on the matter of transforming the judiciary. Public comment and a revised charter will be published early next year.

The final policy document on the transformation as envisaged in the draft White Paper will be submitted to cabinet in late October and will be published thereafter for public comment.

Tabling of SAPS Annual Report

The South African Police Service report we tabled in parliament today reviews the work of the police during the 2005/2006 Financial Year. Comprehensive crime statistics also form part of the South African Police Service's annual report. Crime statistics are used by the police to determine crime patterns, hotspots, and for operational planning. Information on crime at the local level is available at all police stations and available to Community Police Forums to assist community involvement in policing initiatives.

Given that the annual report covers the period up to the end of March this year, it does not make reference to the period from April 1 to August 31. I do wish to indicate, though, that there was a spike in crime over the period April-May-June, especially in Gauteng. The detailed statistics that will provide a breakdown for that period will be published next year.

The on-going restructuring in the Police Service has also taken into consideration the matter of statistics. What we will do next year is that the statistics will be published soon after the end of the financial year and will be separated from the SAPS annual report. The necessary resources for that to be achieved have been put in place as part of the restructuring process.

All eight contact crimes decreased during the last financial year, with four of the eight categories showing significant decreases. Common Robbery decreased by 18,3%, Attempted Murder by 16,6%, Common Assault by 15,6% and Serious and Violent Assault by 9,6%.

We are satisfied in those categories the target set by Government of reducing Serious and Violent Crimes was achieved. The decrease by 6,2% of Robbery with Aggravating Circumstances is also encouraging and is an improvement on the previous year's decrease of 5,5%.

Although Murder decreased by 2,0%, Rape by 1,0% and Indecent Assault by 3,7%, those contact crimes remain a cause for concern. Over the past eleven years there has been an overall downward trend in the murder rate. We are unhappy, though, that the decreases have not been as dramatic as the case is regarding the other crime types.

Despite the changes for the better, there are challenges that still remain in other categories of crime prevention and combating programmes. Alcohol and drug abuse continue to be a problem as generators of crime. Drug-related crimes have increased by 13,2% while instances of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs shot up by 9,9%.

Current Environment

Since the middle of July the focus of the police has been on serious and violent crimes including murder, robbery and rape. The strategy was followed by increased police visibility where cordon-and-search operations as well as roadblocks were mounted.

In the two months between .July 15 and September 15, 384 suspects were apprehended in connection with 687 cases that the police were investigating. Using modern technology we were able to trace 154 suspects on the basis of fingerprints we collected from crime scenes covering 136 cases. Those suspects will faces charges relating to murder, attempted murder, rape, hijacking and armed robbery.

Using the same technology the police were able to arrest 85 suspects who are repeat offenders linked to three or more crime scenes. They will be charged in connection with 400 cases.

The National Commissioner circulated to the various provinces lists of suspects against whom warrants of arrest had been issued. A total of 80 suspects have been arrested to be tried in 80 cases. An additional 65 wanted suspects who are repeat offenders were arrested for three or more other crimes to appear in 71 cases.

There are, in a nutshell, 234 suspects who will be charged in 216 cases for serious and violent crimes. Repeat offenders who were arrested total 150 having been linked to 471 cases.

As announced in June, the police will continue to pay attention to serious and violent crimes. At the end of December, an assessment will be done and best practice cases will be part of further planning to boost policing in South Africa. Another meeting was held earlier in September to review national police operations announced on 7 July 2006 and plans for the period ahead. Police management provided progress reports regarding investigations into crimes such as cash-in-transit heist, bank robberies, and robberies on business premises, house robberies and rape.

The Ministers and MEC's were encouraged by the steady advances the SAPS were making in solving crime and arresting suspects wanted in connection with aforementioned crimes. (See SAPS media statement)

The increased effectiveness of investigations can be ascribed to the better utilisation of technology by the SAPS Forensic Science laboratory, which uses the recently acquired automated Genetic Sample Processing System (GSPS). The new system can load on a daily basis 800 samples. The Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) has also been improved better to solve firearm related cases.

Partnerships

The principle of partnerships in the fight against crime was taken a step further on 25 August, at President Thabo Mbeki's Big Business Working Group meeting. The upshot of that interaction will be a meeting soon between representatives of the entire business sector in South Africa and the JCPS cabinet ministers. Among others, the meeting will discuss how better to fight crime in a more focused and consolidated way using the collective will and wisdom of the nation.

A preparatory meeting involving Business Against Crime, who are co-conveners with the JCPS cluster of the projected meeting with the broader business sector took place on 18 September.

The JCPS cluster is also currently laying the basis within government for an anti?crime campaign which aims to mobilise the support of all South Africans to play a role in the fight against crime. This campaign when it is subsequently endorsed by all stakeholders will be mass-based and will include business, organs of civil society, trade unions, political parties and the media.

Current Challenges

Crimes against women and children continue to be a source for deep concern. Those types of crime, especially rape and indecent assault, show slight increases. When there have been decreases in the past, they were very marginal. The light at the end of the tunnel though, is the encouraging response from victims who are coming forward to report such crimes.

Government's campaigns like the 16 Days of No Violenc Against Women and Children, where the SAPS Women Network has played a key role, have helped to convince victims and other law-abiding people to report such crimes to the law enforcement agencies for the investigation and arrest of offenders.

The challenge of HIV and AIDS in the Correctional Detention Centres has seen an increase of 25% -- from 200 a year in the past to 800. The accreditation last week of Durban Westville Correctional Centre raised to four the number of centres that manage the ARV treatment regime.

Issued by: South African Police Service
27 September 2006

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