Address by Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Deputy President of the Republic Of South Africa at the South African Police Service (SAPS)/Sanlam Management Development Programme for women 2007

Salutations
Programme Director
Deputy Safety and Security Minister, Susan Shabangu
First Lady Mrs Zanele Mbeki
Western Cape Premier, Mr Ebrahim Rasool
National Commissioner of the SAPS, Mr Jackie Selebi
Deputy National Commissioner, Dr Mala Singh
Minister of Community Safety, Mr Leonard Ramatlakane
Distinguished guests
Graduates of the SAPS/Sanlam Women's Development Programme,
Members of the SAPS
Ladies and gentlemen

Introduction

August is celebrated as Women's Month by government and all sectors of our society. The month of August means we should take time and dedicate our energies to honouring the strength and courage of our women who are mothers, sisters and daughters as well as professionals, like you, care givers and policy makers.

Since the birth of our Constitutional Democracy in 1994, our government has prioritised women's empowerment and gender equality. Government has passed a number of laws to create a better life for all women. These laws include the Domestic Violence Act of 1998, the Maintenance Act of 1998 and the Employment Equity Act of 1998 and a Constitution that is emphatic on the emancipation of women and gender equality. That is why today I proudly stand here to salute you as women leaders in our security forces.

It is government's belief that by empowering women we contribute to empowering our families, our communities and South Africa. Government is committed to emancipate women from a status of marginalisation, exclusion and subordination. Ensuring the rights of women is ensuring basic human rights for all. As government we also realise that education is key to the upliftment of women. In fact, it is the most sustainable empowerment of women.

I am pleased to attend this graduation ceremony, as this SAPS/Sanlam management Development Programme for women seeks to affirm and create a new calibre of leadership in the SAPS. We expect you to lead by example and good deeds that must impress your peers and make those of your peers who fail society to re-commit to noble values of the SAPS.

As government we recognise that crime remains a big challenge and that we require all sectors of society to assist in fighting this scourge. We can and you can do more, you can do much better and we can all do better in the fight against crime. This unity of purpose is commendable and augurs well for the unity and determination needed to pull our country back from those who seek to drag it to a wrong path.

Today, we have gathered to congratulate the graduates who have completed the SAPS/Sanlam Women's Development Programme. We also congratulate the leadership of the SAPS, Sanlam, the University of Stellenbosch and Business against Crime for working together to produce this innovative programme, which is the first of its kind.

What the course entailed

Ladies and gentlemen, I understand that, among the courses, the police officers have focused on personal management skills, general management, financial management and budget analysis and strategic management and creative problem-solving. This academic aspect of the development programme was provided by the School of Public Management and Planning (SOPMP), at the University of Stellenbosch.

In addition, the graduates had internal mentors within the SAPS who were responsible for coaching and mentoring them within the organisation. The internal mentors focused on creating favourable working conditions and on career-pathing inside the SAPS.

Business Against Crime identified successful business women in the corporate world, who acted as external mentors to the graduates. These external mentors gave graduates a glimpse of the business world, which included meetings and relating to a number of different work situations and different people. I again welcome this approach that ensures the police women have a greater outlook to leadership beyond the outlook of the service. I also believe in the value of mentorship. You must as, senior police service members, mentor the younger members.

Programme Director, due to the high incidences of domestic and sexual violence against women and children, we need to continue to sensitise members of the SAPS about these social crimes. For example, we need to continuously reassess how we can improve the treatment rape survivors receive at police stations. Is there anything more we can do to make rape survivors more comfortable and can we improve the process around the reporting of a sexual assault?

The principles of Batho Pele (People First) need to find expression in the way we treat the most vulnerable of our citizens. Our success as a democracy depends on how our old, young, sick and disabled are treated. Right now, we have to admit, we need to do more there. You, as the police service; men and women, must improve how you treat victims of violence and better the success rates on cases brought to your attention.

I would like to encourage the SAPS leadership to strengthen projects and programmes, which sensitise police officers on how to garner support from the community in dealing with issues of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault and child abuse. I think there is a big need for this. As a country we need to respond on all fronts to the violence against women, children and other citizens. Police alone cannot deal effectively with most of these social contact crimes. We need families to take responsibility parents and the society to work in support of the police.

Crime prevention

As much as the SAPS fight crime, their role is also to prevent crime through education and information. This work needs to be given much greater priority. The SAPS has been doing a lot of good work with the Community Policing Forums around the country. Our big challenge is how we work with communities to keep our young people out of jail.

National Youth Service (NYS) role in crime prevention

Our NYS aims to serve the needs of our country's young people. There is a layer of youth who did not complete high school, who do not have marketable skills, and who are not employed. We need to get these young people into programmes that will infuse a civic education and will equip them with skills, so that they can find jobs or start a small business. I want to request you to familiarise yourselves with the NYS and to use it in the best interest of the Policing objectives.

Big brother/Big Sister

We need more good men who will volunteer to work with the SAPS and community forums, and who can act as mentors to young men who are at risk of following a life of crime. Now more than ever, we need to tackle the social roots of crime. Our country will then be on an even better path to shared economic and social prosperity.

We also need you to protect our schools and to embrace and promote actively the adopt-a-cop programme for schools. As more women take up senior positions in the service, this should enrich the service, because when men and women work together, society will work better. Women must bring their qualities or resilience and compassion to the job and use them to enrich the service.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Programme Director, we need to once again congratulate our graduates and wish them well in their careers in the SAPS. Sibheke lukhulu kini. Sinithembile. Siyazidlangani! As a nation we salute the tireless work members of the SAPS do to keep our communities safe. This is much appreciated. Many of you so many times face danger even death in the line of duty and you put the people first.

We welcome the role our partners have played in making the SAPS/Sanlam Management Development Programme for Women 2007 a success. This country and democracy cannot work without those these partnerships. We thank Sanlam, the University of Stellenbosch and Business Against Crime for their support. We congratulate the SAPS leadership for their vision in bringing this programme to fruition and we thank the team who put it all together. I also want to thank the Deputy Minister for her unfailing support to the SAPS and her efforts to give encouragement.

I thank you.

Issued by: The Presidency
21 August 2007