Address by honourable Thobile Mhlahlo, Eastern Cape MEC for Safety, Liaison, Roads and Transport at the Institute for Municipal Public Safety of Southern Africa conference

'Requirements for Leadership in Public Safety with Emphasis upon Law Enforcement for 2007 and Beyond'

It is indeed a great honour for me to get an opportunity to address such an august occasion, which seeks to find ways and means of improving our work of providing safety and security for all our people.

Since the advent of democracy, visible and decisive interventions have been made by the democratic state in an effort to inculcate a new national culture that is underpinned by values of human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms.

Government's vision was effective law enforcement that reflect a united, non-racial, non-sexist law enforcement service that continuously strive for excellence through promoting the Batho Pele principles.

This transition did not only mean a change in our policing systems, but what was needed most was a change of attitudes from being just a Policeman that takes instructions, into a Manager focusing on service delivery and nation building.

It means that the leadership in public safety must be visionaries with strong managerial skills and people-centred.

Transformation of public safety management

Our main challenge has always been the transformation of law enforcement agencies to uphold the principles of equality enshrined in the Constitution and further to ensure that there is good governance.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) is a living example of an institution that was inherited by the democratic state from a bureaucratic, rule bound and white male dominated force, which had to be transformed into a service reflecting and respecting gender and representation in relation to race and demographics.

New management principles had to be introduced in order to transform the work ethic of the police from agents of oppression into being 'servants of the Community.' This approach further assisted in changing the mindset within the institution and provided space for previously disadvantaged groups of our society, particularly women to occupy senior positions in SAPS as commissioners and key decision makers, instead of providing secretarial services.

The new task of public safety managers is to redefine law enforcement in relation to crime prevention as a strategy of governance. This approach encompasses a strategy that seeks to educate our law enforcement agencies about the moral regeneration issues in our communities.

In fact, this is a requirement for leadership in Public Safety, which has been laid down in the Constitution of South Africa which states that "the objects of the Police Service are to prevent, combat and investigate crime, to maintain public order, to protect and secure the inhabitants of the Republic and their property, and to uphold and enforce the law."

These principles set the tone for our new policing style of transforming the police from oppressors to servants of the community. At the core of these principles is that all spheres of government have the duty to provide a minimum of community safety and personal safety through the policing service they provide. The citizens are the consumers of the service and have a right to demand that the quality of this service meets their satisfaction.

South Africa's approach to the safety and security of its citizens is based on the principles of community policing, where the community becomes part of the solution to its crime problems and further this strategy does not make our law enforcement agencies soft on policing.

New policy direction

The introduction of the National Crime Prevention Strategy and the White Paper on Safety and Security has brought about a new paradigm of law enforcement as it recognises that crime prevention is not the responsibility of the South African Police Service only, but also other government departments with a special focus on social issues.

Our experiences over the last few years have taught us that leadership in Public Safety with emphasis on law enforcement does not automatically lie at the door of Police officials but rather effective Managers to give strategic direction. The National Commissioner of the SAPS is an example of this.

Strengthening local capacity

The legislation of Municipal Policing has also brought about a role of Municipalities in Public Safety. This requires co-ordination of municipal law enforcement activities with the SAPS. That approach will ensure that we concentrate all our energies on effective management in day-to-day enforcement and quality control, linked to innovative efforts for effective and efficient service delivery.

In an effort to overcome the current fragmentation of traffic management across the country, government has established the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to bring a new professional coherence and improvement coordination of road traffic management. The remaining challenge is for Municipalities to provide leadership at local level through ensuring that they have by-laws, which will enable the restoration of the moral fibre of our society.

Considering the current debate of the establishment of a single national Police Service, we need to ask ourselves, would it not be more effective if Municipal Police and the South African Police Services account to one Police Commissioner?
However, at the same time, how are we going to address the needs and requirements of a particular municipality?

As we gear up for the 2010 Federation International Football Association (Fifa) World Cup, our law enforcement agencies will have to ensure that not only do they provide a safe passage and a crime free tournament, but that the leadership of these law enforcement agencies be equipped to make strategic decisions and in some cases act as tourism ambassadors for South Africa.

The prevailing challenges in our society require a massive investment on the building of public safety fraternity's management capacity and the mobilisation of young men and women to sustain our law enforcement strategies.

We need to further consider the mobilisation of skilled volunteers to assist our law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime, particularly in our high crime areas. This approach has worked very well in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and I strongly believe that it can be emulated by other municipalities.

In conclusion

It is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that we build a collaborative security community that will ensure that there is sustainable peace and stability in our country, and create a conducive environment for our children to enjoy the fruits of freedom and democracy.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Safety, Liaison, Roads and Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
13 September 2007