Issued by: Office of the President
The Bill I am signing today contains important amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act. These amendments will make it more difficult for people charged with serious crimes to be released on bail.
Special provision has been made for those crimes about which there is the most serious concern. These include: murder; armed robberies; car hijackings; rape; serious economic offences; arms smuggling and the possession of automatic and semi-automatic weapons. We cannot and will not tolerate a situation which causes fear and suffering both amongst our citizens and guests to this country.
This legislation, therefore, signals the determination of this government to stamp out crime, especially violent crime. I wish to reaffirm what I said earlier this year when I opened Parliament, that we cannot tolerate a situation in which our country is engulfed by crime. We must take the war to the criminals and no longer allow a situation in which we are mere sitting ducks for those in our society who, for whatever reason, are bent on engaging in criminal and anti-social activities.
Since then the Government has taken firm action against crime. We have launched the National Community Safety Plan with good results everywhere except in some parts of KwaZulu-Natal, where additional measures within the framework of the Community Safety Plan have been taken. Road blocks, house to house searches and many other measures have become part of our programme. We have instituted a National Anti-Crime Secretariat involving all the relevant Ministeries in order to devise a long term strategy against crime.
Although the crime rate is still unacceptably high, and although the battle will be long and arduous, the campaign against crime is beginning to bear fruit.
The Government is determined to root out crime and, if necessary, to introduce new and tougher measures to bring it under control. This law on bail is our next step in the war against crime. For this law to work effectively we need full co-operation of all role players - the justice system, the police and communities everywhere. I appeal to communities to mobilise and work with the police to ensure that criminals are apprehended and brought to justice. The judicial system also needs your co-operation, so that the courts have before them all the available evidence.
I would like to use this opportunity to call on all our citizens to join us in the battle to make our communities safe. We have come so far together in the pursuit of peace and reconciliation. Let us join forces once more and work together to build a safe and secure South Africa for all our people.
20 September 1995