Address by MEC Jerry Thibedi during the annual general meeting of North West Community Police Board held in Potchefstroom

It is that time of the year when our cadres in the community policing sector, take stock of what they have achieved in the previous year. The immense contribution by the community policing sector towards the reduction of crime in our society cannot be over emphasised. Through your efforts, Community Policing Forums (CPFs) have now been established in virtually every locality of our province. They are essential in building the relationship between public and police that we need to keep our neighbourhoods safe and deserve our support as South African Police Service (SAPS) and the department. Our communities need to be encouraged to get involved in government programmes so as to ensure that our young democracy is sustained.

We owe it to our fallen heroes, who for many decades fought for the liberation of this country. We ought to intensify the war as a collective against crime and criminals in defence of our constitution and in defence of our hard fought freedom. I have in the past cautioned that crime is everyone's business. It cannot just be left to police deal with. It is your responsibility, it is my responsibility to work together and launch an offensive against crime and ensure that criminals are exposed and flushed out of our communities. When community policing was introduced post 1994, the political imperative informing community policing amongst others, was one of accountability. The police were to be legitimised by enhancing public oversight generally and particularly by enhancing interaction, consultation and accountability at police station level.

This oversight role was enhanced in Section 222 of the Interim Constitution, which directed that the Act, the Constitution of South Africa was to provide for the establishment of an independent complaints mechanism to ensure the investigation of police misconduct by objective parties. The emphasis on accountability was continued with the publication of the new government's first formal policy statement on safety and security in mid-1994, the Minister's draft policy document entitled "Change." This placed particular emphasis on the democratic control of the police service and community involvement in safety and security issues. It is against this backdrop that community policing has become a relative success in South Africa.

Our vision as government was to create structures of civilian oversight at a local level in order to ensure that the South African Police Service becomes accountable to civilian authority. In this regard, mechanisms such as creation of civilian ministry, a civilian secretariat, Parliamentary Oversight Committees, Independent Complaints Directorate and other structures that support democracy were established. However, we should as government, SAPS and CPF board acknowledge that there are a few challenges such as uneven development of CPFs in various communities. We should also note that there is still resistance from within the SAPS to civilian oversight in certain areas. You will also agree that 'Coffs' do not have sufficient legal authority to ensure accountability by the SAPS. At the same time not all 'Coffs' operate according to legitimate community mandates.

To deal with some of these challenges, Programme Director, the Minister of Safety and Security, Charles Nqakula has recently proposed changes to the operations of the forums. He has proposed that CPFs get involved in the activities of Home Affairs, Justice and Correctional Services departments. The expanded structures, which would be independent like the CPFs, would be known as Community Safety Forums (CSFs). Besides preventing and combating crime, the CSFs would empower victims of abuse in their communities by helping them to get to know and exercise their rights through the justice system. They would also help reintegrate offenders into the social and economic lives of their communities, and identify facilities to be converted into secure places of safety for children in conflict with the law and women in prison for petty offences.

The forums would monitor Home Affairs officials in a bid to root out corruption. Help community members to get access to Home Affairs services and help municipalities establish immigration help points for better immigration control. They would also have to identify energetic community members to be recruited as police reservists and trained in basic policing in order to increase police visibility in localities, a measure identified as key to crime prevention in the country. Only CSF members elected by their communities at public meetings on the basis of defined regulations would be paid stipends. Members who came forward as volunteers would not get such an allowance. There are also plans for municipalities to provide office space for the CSFs and pay for services such as telephone bills incurred in those buildings. It is clear therefore that the responsibility of the forums will broaden and make them more involved in community issues.

Programme Director, let me thank members of the outgoing board under the leadership with the leadership of Rre Alfred Mathe for the sterling contribution he and his team made in their fight against crime. I have no doubt but trust that the incoming board will perform and carry the baton with the dedication and commitment. You are faced with a challenge, to ensure that changes in your operation as I indicated earlier become a reality. We trust that relevant structures such as municipalities and SAPS will give you the necessary support in order to fully implement your new mandate.

In conclusion Programme Director, in case you are not aware, I have been redeployed to the Department of Public Works by EXCO from next week Friday, June 1 2007. Allow me to once again reiterate what I said in my previous interactions with the police. I will continue to defend to the last word our SAPS on any platform for as long as their actions are in defence of the constitution of the country. MEC Vilakazi has been tasked with new responsibilities and will take over reigns from me on 1 June. I am confident he will enjoy support and co-operation you accorded me during my tenure as MEC for Transport, Roads and Community Safety.

On behalf of the provincial government, let me once more thank you for the enormous contribution you are making in the quest for a crime free society. To SAPS management, I thank you for the support you have given also to the community policing forums and I am very optimistic you will continue to contribute positively to a crime free society.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Transport, Roads and community Safety, North West Provincial Government
25 May 2007