Date: 06/06/2003
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government
Title: Ramatlakane: Western Cape Community Safety Prov Budget Vote 2003/2004


WESTERN CAPE COMMUNITY SAFETY MINISTER, LEONARD RAMATLAKANE'S BUDGET SPEECH, 6 June 2003

Madame Speaker
Premier
Members

It gives me great pleasure to present to this House the Department of Community Safety's budget for the 2003/2004 financial year.

Let me say from the very onset that the budget presented today, is one that is firmly rooted in our commitment to meeting the objectives of Ikapa Elihlumayo.

The past year has been particularly tough for all those in the trenches fighting crime across our province.

Today we pay our respects to the many police officers who have died in the course of duty.

Our greatest homage to their untimely deaths is to continue the work they performed, namely, to make our communities and society a safer one for all to live in.

In my 2002 budget vote, I made certain undertakings that my Department and I would pursue in creating peace and stability for all.

We will also share with this House the many exciting projects that the Department of Community Safety is embarking upon in 2003 in bolstering the Police and community solidarity in their relentless struggle to keep our streets safe.

In the area of corrective spending; we undertook the task of ensuring that we maximised our resource pool to the total benefit of our people in the province.

In the past we witnessed great spending in certain geographic locations, resulting in skewed resource allocations - resulting in poor planning and a distorted crime pattern, in particular in African and Coloured communities.

In the past year we have demonstrated our seriousness in capacitating CPFs both in operation and implementation of projects.

The CPFs today are better equipped than they were in 2001.

From our analysis; these funds have laid the basis for greater partnerships between communities and the police, as well as the conceptualisation for anti-crime projects.

You would recall that when I presented my budget speech in 2002; I indicated that the lack of integration amongst various agencies fighting crime was a major shortcoming that could result in our inability to deal decisive blows to crime in the Western Cape.

Many of you would recall that one of the primary reasons why the organisation that carried out urban terror in our province was able to survive for so long was precisely because of our fragmented co-operation across security agencies.

We have now overcome that short-coming.

The formation of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee on Safety & Security in the province brings together all role-players in the Criminal Justice Cluster.

The task of the MMC has been one of creating a fora through which our various agencies can discuss a common approach to dealing with priority crimes facing the province.

Finally in 2002; we undertook to increase focus on better service delivery at our local Police stations.

"Without caring, there can be no quality. Without quality there can be no community oriented policing".

To this end, my Department has undertaken 2 Performance Grading Surveys of Police stations and client/community's responses there to.

It is clear from the data collected that we still have some way to go in terms of improved police service delivery to communities.

The police like any other public service institution are bound by the policy and spirit of "Batho Pele". There can be no compromise on the issue of service delivery.

The department has further developed Police Service Charters for all police stations.

In the roll-out of this campaign we have met over 250 000 people in support effective service.

It is important for this House to note that this upsurge in support has not transpired in a vacuum - it constantly requires hard work and delivery by our men and women in blue.

The ethos of qualitative partnerships has allowed another important element of solidarity to emerge between communities and the police, namely that of volunteerism.

In 2002, President Mbeki called on all to volunteer their services in making a contribution to improved service delivery within the public sector.

In our province; we have seen this sense of generosity in leaps and bounds.

In 2002; we undertook to establish Victim Comfort Rooms throughout the province at local police stations, funded by the Department. This we have achieved.

Most of these rooms are managed by volunteers, offering their services to victims of crime, thus alleviating the burden from the police to fulfil a greater task of patrolling the streets.

To these women and men; I wish to extend our sincere appreciation for the invaluable work they are doing in bringing peace and stability for all in the Western Cape.

In concluding, this section of my presentation, Madam Speaker allow me to share with you the successes our police has achieved in making the Western Cape a safer place, namely:

In Operation Neptune:

Arrest of over 826 suspects;
Seizing 101 vehicles, 8 boats;
Seizing 237 970 abalone & 8257 crayfish;
In Operation Slasher:
Arrest of over 5947 suspects;
Seizing 885 fire-arms &, 261 vehicles;
Seizing 34 048 mandrax & 1204 kg of dagga;
Special Operation - Organised Crime
Seizing 96 074 mandrax & 33 848 kg of cocaine 132 018 abalone

Arrests of a number of high-flyers, responsible for a range of violent crimes in our province.

We will continue to make their life unbearable in this front.

Madam Speaker, I wish to proceed in giving the House a macro overview of the work of the Department of Community Safety, as well as the state of policing in province.

On Policing

We report with pride that our police resources in the Western Cape have been increased.

As a result of extensive consultation, National Government has allocated 3212 new recruits to the Western Cape for the last financial year, which is more than half the number of the total allocations in the country.

This is indicative of a much-improved relationship between the national and provincial government of the Western Cape. Above all, this reflects the national government's commitment to our province and its needs.

The challenge of course is to ensure that the resources that we do have are effectively utilized based on the needs of our communities.

There are however signs of success in that a station such as Khayelitsha's approved staff establishment has grown from 200 last year to 439 by the 3rd quarter of 2003 and 500 by the 4th quarter of this year.

Likewise with Mitchell's Plain Police station, current personnel strength is at 500, by the end of 2003 this will raise to 600 police.

On Municipal Police

The Department has projected that it would train 1500 Municipal Police officers by the end of 2003.

You will recall that when we assumed office in December 2001, there was a clear bias in the manner in which our Municipal police were deployed.

We indicated then that current deployment strategies were inappropriate and needs to be reflective of the plight of the people of the Western Cape.

To this end, we have jointly developed and implemented appropriate strategies for deployment to the Cape Flats.

On the Hands Off Our Children HOOC

Our efforts to educate the public about child abuse have increasingly been enhanced by the successful implementation of the Hands Off Our Children - My child is your child Campaign.

Through this campaign; we have reached at least 3,5 million people.

* We have entered into public/private partnerships
* We have succeeded in empowering 18 000 learners with life skills
* We have hosted 4 successful Victim Empowerment Summits throughout the province
* And we have increased the reporting of crimes against children through the use of the Lifeline/Childline.

In this regard, I want to issue a word of caution.

As our programmes reach the populace; more and more abuse will be brought into the open, and I expect the number of reported cases to rise dramatically.

In a bid to expose this crime the Department posted 1500 boxes at schools through which our children can report these crimes.

At one school for example, 11 cases were reported after the Department had presented its HOOC campaign.

In this regard I particularly want to pay tribute to the efforts of Police Inspector, Leticia Roux who has released a CD titled "Women of Strength".

I acknowledge her presence here in the House this afternoon.

A portion of the sales of this CD will go towards the Victim Empowerment programme. One particular song, "Set our Children Free" has been inspired by the HOOC campaign.

On Traffic Management

The department implemented a 24-hour traffic service at Beaufort West, Swellendam and Brackenfell in 2002.

This 24-hour service will be extended to Vredenburg, Somerset West, Mossel Bay and Laingsburg in 2003.

To this end we will be employing an additional 200 additional Traffic Officers on our provincial roads.

We are confident that the implementation of this service will go a long way in putting an end to the carnage on our roads. As it must be remembered that with each fatal accident prevented will save our economy about R 500-000.

On Community Patrol Officers

We are all aware of the important role the Community Patrol Officers have played in our City.

The CPO Scheme is governed between the Provinces, SAPS national and business. The contractual obligations between ourselves are due to end on 30 June 2003.

We are currently in discussion with the national commissioner to find workable proposals on the continuance of the CPO scheme.

On our Provincial Crime Information Centre.

We have for some time now been referring to an information centre and the research we are doing into crime trends etc.

I am proud to distribute to each member today the first Community Safety Monitor, which deals with the Criminal Economy, Gangs and Child Abuse.

This will become a valuable tool in understanding the complexity of the gang problem and is one step closer to effectively dealing with gangs.

Madam Speaker,

I now move to the 2003/04 budget for which an amount of R140 million is being voted for. Indeed it is minute in terms of the overall Provincial budget, but critical for the safe environment that Ikapa Elihlumayo needs.

The Department is more and more focusing on the mobilisation of communities as agents for positive change.

The operative word, Madam Speaker is Partnership, between local government, local communities, business and the police.

In this connection, a business forum to discuss matters of mutual interest will be established.

Guided by President Mbeki when he recently said in the opening of National Parliament in 2003:

"Our ability to combat crime effectively lies within the ambit of mobilising communities to be the driving force in working with SAPS to create a greater awareness about crime in our communities".

This has been re-confirmed by the fact that early breakthroughs in recent arrests of horrific crimes were the direct result of community co-operation with SAPS.

Gang violence has been a key feature of the crime and violence portfolio of the Western Cape. Almost every community on the Cape Flats has been affected by the conflict between gangs.

Its dimensions are societal. The legacies our past will continue to impact on this reality, namely poverty, underdevelopment, poor planning. What is important is that we must steer away from quick fix solutions to this complicated matter.

During 2003, the Department will implement the strategy that deals with street gangs as a whole. This strategy will:

Develop a fully integrated & sustainable, proactive response, between departments, law enforcement agencies & the affected communities both urban & rural dealing the with criminal economy;

Project Chrysalis an important youth development program aimed at skills development for youth at risk. Currently the Department is funding this project to the tune of R 7,7 million per annum.

There are currently 600 youth from mainly our urban renewal areas on course for a 3 month period. We believe that these youth can become positive agents of change.

The project is under a continuous process of re-evaluation to ensure that the output is maximised. The roll-out programme continues in that 3 areas viz. Atlantis, Manenberg and Strandfontein have fully fledged Chrysalis youth clubs.

Madam Speaker, in summation - allow me to present the tasks that my department will undertake in the coming year as we continue to seek remedies to the problem of crime and thereby bring greater peace and stability to our communities.

The aspirations that we all have for lasting tranquillity will not come to bear unless each and every one of us here today commits to work not only for peace, but to actively go out into our communities and build peace.

We are committed to actively ensuring the following in our province: -

1. That we begin in earnest to ensure that re-allocation of resources to hot-spot areas becomes an on-going function of the Provincial Commissioner of Police.

The pilot sites where re-distribution has taken place, needs to be extended across our province, ensuring that priority crimes are given our utmost attention.

Let me re-assure all that our attempts to shift resources are based on need and not in any punitive manner.

Our agreement with the City Cape Town also re-affirms this approach to law enforcement, namely that all new recruited Municipal police will be deployed to the Cape Flats areas on a ratio which begins to address the inequity in law enforcement within our townships.

"We expect too much from laws and demand too little from people". Michael Josephson

2. Our communities are the most powerful weapon we have in our arsenal against criminals. Our project of building partnerships between communities, the police and other law enforcement agencies will be intensified.

In this regard, we have launched BAMBANANI against Crime.

It is through this campaign that we intend galvanising our community structures in seeking strong partnerships with the police.

Once again I want to urge all Members of this house, to join us to organise with us in bringing the Bambanani Against Crime Campaign to your areas.

Many of us sitting here might well be asking silently and thinking we may have done this, but its effects are minimal.

Over the last 12 months we have been working hard with the community of Khayelitsha - a community, which sadly boasts the highest murder rate in our province.

On average we would record anything between 8 and 10 deaths per weekend - through serious and consistent partnerships, we have been able to reduce this rate in the second quarter of this year to an average 2 - 3 murder per weekend.

This triumph by the people of Khayelitsha contradicts those who argue that our communities have no role to play.

In the coming weeks, we intend in conjunction with the City of Cape Town to launch the much-awaited Closed Circuit TV cameras in the Khayelitsha and Mitchell's Plain area, at a cost of R 12 million, from the Dept.

In 2003, my Department will play an important facilitation role in bringing various arms of the Criminal Justice Cluster together to strengthen the central plank of the National Crime Prevention Strategy.

The collective budgets for 2003 of the various agencies in this cluster will inject close to R1 billion into the province's various crime prevention processes within the Criminal Justice System.

In summation, Madam Speaker, the people of the Western Cape can look forward to in 2003:

* The deployment of 3200 new policemen & women onto our streets immediately;
* In 2003 financial year a further 2850 policemen & women will be recruited, trained and sent to the Western Cape. Once more this re-affirms our co-operation relationship with national;
* The training of 150 volunteers to monitor safety of train along all Khayelitsha & Mitchell's Plain rail lines;
* The implementation of a joint initiative with the Dept of Transport for the installation of CCTV cameras for Khayelitsha & Mitchell's Plain train station, at a cost of R 6 million;
* The deployment of 200 volunteers to Khayelitsha to mediate in conflict resolution, a joint program with the German Government;
* The training of over 1000 neighbourhood watch members in basic training at a cost of R1, 9 million, in addition we will be giving over 700 bicycles to our neighbourhood watches for increased mobility;
* The further extension of the Leaner Support Program, a joint program with the WCED, ensuring that our children remain at school, at of R 1 million;
* Continued roll-out of the HOOC campaign to more schools at a cost of R 1 million;

All of these projects is in continuance of the Departments overall theme of implementing a People's Orientated Policing Plan.

In conclusion the tasks set before us are great.

The partnerships we have built in recent months bear testimony to the healthy relations we have between government and the people of our province.

However, whilst our relationship with communities continues to grow; there are constant calls to increase the levels of delivery to the most vulnerable sectors in our province.

Indeed, we will continue to deliver the required levels of service to our communities, but it is incumbent upon all of us to remember that there are no quick fix solutions to our inherited problems of violent crime in the province.

Those seeking to gain cheap political mileage out of the problem of crime, by merely shouting for an increase of SAPS members as the only solution, clearly demonstrates their ignorance about the province and its people.

To be so opportunistic to hang posters of 150 000 police while they know that such is government policy.

The difficulties we will be confronted with in the months ahead need to be fully understood by all.

Madam speaker, we must thank the South African Police Services for their dedicated service under extremely difficult circumstances. A job in law enforcement is a thankless job that is continually under criticism.

To the thousands of police men and women watching over our streets; on behalf of all the people of the Western Cape, I wish to express our sincere gratitude for the work you do daily in protecting us.

To the Provincial Management of the Police we want to say, thank you - we acknowledge and appreciate what you are doing.

A special thank you to the many Community Leaders and ordinary folk - without your support and unwavering commitment, the struggle to build peace and stability would be nearly impossible.

Thanks to the media both electronic and print for the constructive manner in which you have placed crime onto the provincial agenda, and especially the Cape Argus for the Taking Back our Streets campaign, highlighting the partnership and support from communities to our police.

To my department under the leadership of Mr Melvin Joshua - thank you for the numerous hours and dedication you have shown in serving the people of the Western Cape.

Sibambene in partnership - we will bring the Cape closer to the full realisation of Ikapa Elihlumayo.

I thank you

Issued by Western Cape Provincial Government
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.westerncape.gov.za)
6 June 2003