18 APRIL 1997
Madame Speaker, Honourable members, Members of the Executive Councils for Safety and Security, and leaders of the South African Police Service present in the gallery;
It is no exaggeration to say that, in the past, we have had acrimonious debates about crime in this house. The existence of passions and divergent views on this topic is hardly surprising; for it corresponds to the anxieties which grip the hearts and minds of the people who sent us to this Assembly.
Madame Speaker;
To bring about stability, peace and adequate levels of safety and security is a necessary goal of this Assembly. For this, the first ever democratically-elected government of the Republic of South Africa, to bring about a crime-free society is an absolute imperative.
It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that I refuse to succumb to the temptation to define the issues before this House on the basis of political expediency. It is my fervent hope that the exchange which we are about to have, will help all of us to define ways by which we can better contribute to the process of finding a solution to the problem which is causing such untold suffering to our people.
We are asking you, Honourable Members, to share your wisdom with us in the interest of our country and our people. You will be doing this for a cause which others have promoted at the risk of losing their own lives. In 1996, 73 police officers were murdered while on duty, and 138 murdered while off duty. Thus far in 1997, 20 officers have been killed on duty and 34 while off duty.
On behalf of the Department of Safety and Security, and in my own name, I would like to express my profound concern about the wanton killing of police officials. My heart goes out to the relatives of those who died in the line of duty. For their loved ones died while trying to ensure that you and I live without fear. We are convinced that it is the efficient and honest police officials who are being targeted by criminals. It is they, after all, who pose a threat to those who have a propensity to be on the wrong side of the law.
The trend in these murders is certainly linked to the problem of easy access to firearms in our society. In the same way as we are determined to rid our country of the scourge of illegal weapons, we are going to prioritise ensuring that those who kill police officials pay a fitting price.
Statistical reports on crime trends have revealed features which must give us reason for optimism. These include the following:
We have programmes under way, both in the SAPS and in the Criminal Justice System as a whole, to improve information on crime. We know that it is hard to assess the effectiveness of policing and that arrest figures alone are not a good barometer. It is for this reason that a large amount of money is being invested by the Government in enhancing the information management system in the criminal justice enterprise as a whole.
We are also devoting resources to a victim survey which will, for the first time, give us a sense of the real crime picture, not just the crimes that find their way into SAPS data-banks. However, we do acknowledge that the 1996 police crime statistics reflect, for the first time, national crime statistics as collected by one national police service. This is a great improvement from the 11 different and outdated data-bases which the country had to make do with, in the past. They also provide us the best information to assess our achievements in the past year, and to use as a basis for formulating future plans.
Members will recall that last year certain crimes, and sets of crimes, were prioritised both by the police and the other Departments involved in the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS). I would like to report back on the successes the Police Service has achieved in regard to some of those crimes.
The President announced in February that we would only allow commercial goods to be cleared through a limited number of border posts and airports. The NCPS Ministers have now agreed on implementation steps, which will be proposed to the Cabinet Committee next week. In future, bulk commercial traffic into and out of South Africa will only be cleared through 19 of the 52 existing border posts.These 19 border posts are being upgraded and re-organised to ensure proper control over all traffic. In addition, international cargo will be cleared at only 8 of our 36 airports. The 8 airports will also have to be upgraded to comply with criteria which we have laid down for proper control. We have established much better integrated command structures, which are finalising strict procedures which must be followed at all land, air and sea points of entry and exit.
We will make allowances for local requirements under very strict controls, but I must emphasise that bulk commercial goods will be turned back from any other border posts or airports. Any international flights into or out of the country which do not register flight flow and which land or take off from unauthorised airports will be arrested. The aircraft will beseized and the pilots will be prosecuted. We will not allow the huge custom frauds and smuggling to continue, nor will we allow criminals to take stolen vehicles out and bring guns and drugs in.
The encouraging trends in respect of some categories of crime prove that there are many people in the SAPS who are effective, committed and successful in their work. In particular, some of the specialised detective units have shown significant successes against priority crimes in the past year. (For example, the Vehicle Theft and Hijacking Units in Gauteng, the Investigation Task Unit and other special units dealing with political violence in Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the anti-gang units in the Western Cape).
We do not, however, believe that the police organisation can sustain an endless number of specialised units. The use of specialised units to tackle priority crimes is a strategy appropriate to the transition. This strategy has produced islands of excellence in police performance. In the medium and long term, we want to see these levels of success become the norm for all investigators in the service.
We have confidence in the undiminished potential of the majority of members of the Service to deliver the standards of service which the community expect. In fact, the initiatives we are taking in respect of training and resource management this year are intended to show that every member is capable of making a special contribution, and not just those in the specialised units. The good work which the specialised units are doing must now be supplemented by the training of police officials at area and station level, so that they are able to fully co-operate with these units.
I am aware that some opposition parties hold the view that it is necessary for the President to declare a State of Emergency in order to deal with crime. My department is making every effort to be open, both about our successes and our problems. It is irresponsible for some members of this House who, for reasons of politcal expediency, take advantage of this openness to create despair amongst our people.
By all means, criticise our failings; but that criticism should be constructive and balanced by a recognition of our successes. The crime trends which I have mentioned, and the breakthroughs which are being made by the police, in conjunction with various of the other agencies in the criminal justice system, suggest that far from a deepening crisis, significant progress has been made.
Part of this success is due to the improved collaboration between the various players in the criminal justice system. The Department of Safety and Security was designated by Cabinet as the lead department in the NCPS. I wish to take this opportunity to pay tribute to my colleagues in Cabinet and all the officials in the NCPS departments, who have begun to generate a new spirit of co-operation and joint problem-solving. We do not need more than an elementary understanding of law enforcement to understand that the State of Emergency is not the right prescription for solving our problems.
The President announced in March this year that we would deploy the South African National Defence Force to support the police in their crime prevention operations. As from last Sunday, a joint operation was launched. The SANDF has deployed 10 000 troops in support of this operation. In Gauteng we have 8 task forces, involving the traffic police, 5 permanent army companies and commandoes equipped with helicopters, deployed in support of local police stations. In KwaZulu-Natal we are deploying 6 task forces which include 9 SANDF companies and commando platoons, also with helicopter support. Similar deployments are taking place in all of the provinces.
The transformation of policing in South Africa is, in many respects, a transformation of the nature of police accountability. Before the onset of democracy, police officers were accountable to an oppressive minority who shamelessly used policing to pursue its own political and economic interests.
The principal element of transforming policing is the creation of a system that will ensure that the Police Service serves the interests of all South Africans. This was written into the letter and spirit of the provisions relating to the role of elected representatives in overseeing policing in both the Interim and new Constitutions.
These measures, which ensure the accountability of the police to the political authority, are buttressed by provisions that created a system of Community-Police Fora and Boards at a local level. It is here that the community, who are the direct recipients of service, are able to hold their service providers accountable.
These measures were implemented over-and-above the powers of the courts to ensure police compliance with the legal and constitutional provisions governing their actions.
Reviewing these measures from the perspective of 1997, we must conclude that we have taken a huge step forward. We have created CPF's around the country, which, whatever their flaws, are a new mechanism through which the community can assert its expectations.
It has also become clear that to ensure good quality service delivery, the police service requires very clear and explicit targets. These have been lacking thus far. In order to make good this deficiency, I designated 1997 a year of service delivery, and a year for the introduction of clear performance agreements. These agreements, in stating explicitly the expectations of government, will serve to ensure that the Service focuses its attention on the priorities we have identified.
The Department of Safety and Security has identified 5 policing priorities and 6 internal focus areas which will form the core of the service provision agreements between myself and the National Commissioner.
These priorities and focus areas were identified through a consultative process involving the MEC's, police management and my office. They reflect our views on the best way to deal with high levels of crime, criminality and victimisation.
The department will devote its energies in 1997 to a number of issues which affect the safety and security of South Africans. These priorities are located within the seven major categories of crime which are the focus of the NCPS. The activities of the police in these priority areas are supported by, and lend support to, the work of the other NCPS departments. Those priorities are:
i. Firearms
SA is awash with a sea of firearms. The problems generated by this proliferation have been canvassed before. This department will ensure that the inflow of weapons into the country, as well as the misuse of licenced firearms, is drastically curtailed. This will be achieved through increased police operations, as well as a tightening up of the enforcement of existing legislation relating to legal firearms.
ii. Criminal organisations
When looking at the details of South Africa's crime problem, I am always struck by the impression that a large proportion of it is either organised, or relies on some level of organisation for its profitability. Even the most opportunistic housebreaker will rely on more-or-less well organised channels for the selling of the stolen goods. By focusing the attention of the Department on the structures, activities, personnel and profits of criminal organisations, I believe we will begin to incapacitate significant segments of South Africa's underworld.
iii. Crimes against women and children
Crimes against women and children, including rape and child abuse, are generally committed by one individual against another. These crimes are amongst the most frightening and harmful. Apart from the immediate harm to the victim, patterns of abuse can be directly linked to creating the preconditions for criminality in later life.
iv. Corruption in the Criminal Justice System
The Criminal Justice System is supposed to be society's strongest defence against criminality. Its efforts are, however, undermined by high levels of corruption and self-serving abuse. Increasing our efforts to clean this system up must be one of the key priorities of the year.
v. Crime prevention at station level
The importance of the four priorities that I have already mentioned cannot be under-estimated. However, they alone will not address the dire need for policing at grass-roots level. Without improving and increasing police visibility, without implementing improved crime information systems at station level, stations are not going to be able to ensure the safety of the communities they serve. Improving policing at station level is, therefore, a national priority.
In order to reach our targets with regard to these priorities, we have identified 6 organisational focus areas which require attention. These are: the quality of the investigative services; the treatment of victims and witnesses; budget and resource management; affirmative training; communication; and the monitoring of performance. Targets for training and other support functions will be set in much the same way as we will be setting performance targets in relation to crime. For example, we will insist that all police officials whose posts require them to drive an official vehicle, receive the necessary training and that they all obtain valid licenses by the end of this financial year.
I have already referred to the fact that the Department of Safety and Security will be using a system of performance agreements to ensure that 1997 will be the year of service delivery. Naturally, delivery in terms of the priorities I have outlined is of primary importance.
Before explaining the way in which we have formulated the performance agreement, I want to reflect on the revolutionary character of the approach we have taken. There has never been even the vaguest attempt to produce such agreements for any policing agency in South Africa's history.
The very novelty of the approach has created a difficulty which is yet to be overcome. Although members of the SAPS have, for the most part, been enthused by the new approach, there have been problems in determining both the appropriate targets, and the base figures for the present financial year. We must remember that this is really the first time that the Police Service will be assessed in terms of its outputs. This is making severe demands on the existing management information of the Service.
In addition, some of the targets that have been generated so far are simply not aggressive enough, and will have to be re-negotiated.
These difficulties have meant that, although we have tried to finalise targets for each and every objective relating to the priorities, we have not completed this. We are, however, in a position to indicate some of the sorts of targets with which we are satisfied.
The target-setting process was preceded by a process in which each priority was broken down into measurable, implementable objectives. Each province and every national component then tried to set targets for itself.
It is clear from these examples that the department has been working hard to develop the appropriate targets. I must commend the Provincial Commissioners, Secretariats and MEC's for setting some aggressive and appropriate targets. As I have said already, the process is not complete, but will be finalised shortly. We have, however, made great strides.
The priorities, objectives and targets of the Department are of purely academic interest if the resources allocated to it are insufficient, or inappropriately deployed. It is, therefore, in the light of the priorities we have developed, that the budget should be considered.
The budget for the present financial year is about two billion rand greater than the budget that was voted this time last year. This represents an increase of more than 20%. The character, and extent, of the increase in the department's budget has been the subject of some confusion, and I hope that I can clarify these issues now.
The increase is, basically, a result of three amounts being built into our budget:
Having said that there is, in fact, a significant increase in our budget, I should immediately add that most of this increase is being used to improve the remuneration of police officers. This has been done by giving effect to the backlog of promotions; upgrading post-levels and by implementing the salary increases negotiated in the public sector.
This increase reflects government's conviction that police officers need to be remunerated at a level which values the nature of their work. We are convinced that a large measure of the problems relating to morale and ill-discipline arise from the perception among some members of the Service that they are not valued by their community. This perception must, and will, end as members' remuneration is enhanced.
The NCPS, which was supported by all parties last year, suggests that long term solutions to the problem of crime lie in the arena of improved prevention, rather than in endlessly increasing the resources with which we react to crime. There are those who continue to argue that the solution to the problem of crime is to hire more police officers. We recognise that the issue of recruitment is important, and that it is being motivated out of concerns about high levels of crime. However, we remain convinced that the complexity of our situation in respect of crime demands sophisticated responses; and that one-dimensional suggestions which simply focus on police recruitment will not help us.
Indeed, the experience of our history shows that large-scale recruitment can have negative, rather than positive, consequences in the medium and long term. The National Party government, in its wisdom, decided to create auxiliary forces to bolster the SAP, and recruited over 10 000 "special constables" and "municipal police" in the 1980's. The principal merit of these recruits was that they were inexpensive to the government. They were not expected to demonstrate any special policing abilities, or even to be functionally literate. This is how we end up today with institutionalised career inferiority and a severe lack of capacity within the police service.
It is with this context in mind that we have approached the question of recruitment into the SAPS in this financial year. Members will remember that I have spoken previously about needing to obtain from the National Commissioner a detailed plan for the current use of human resources and projected human resource needs. We have had some difficulty in obtaining this information, and consultants have recently been brought in to assist the police Human Resources division to do the assessment and planning around human resource needs. I will come back to the implications of the Human Resource Plan when I refer to the budget a little later.
In addition, the Human Resource Utilisation Plan will be a crucial element in our improving police effectiveness. That Plan will reveal the personnel needs of the department, as well as providing the basis for the placement and training of existing members. This process is vital to improving delivery. I need only remind this House that the budget of the former South African Police increased five-fold between 1984 and 1995 without preventing an increase in crime. Clearly, deployment patterns are skewed and need to be improved. It should go without saying that ransfers and new placements of existing members will require the co-operation of members and their trade unions.
I now turn to the unfortunate public fall-out between National Commissioner Fivaz and myself. The National Commissioner and I are determined not to be side-tracked by what happened and to maintain our focus steadfastly on the fight against crime. Although there can hardly be a boardroom in South Africa which has not gone through similar tensions, I regard the whole episode as impacting negatively on public confidence in our determination to fight crime, and therefore something we cannot afford to repeat.
There are still elements in the police who follow dubious agendas by leaking boardroom discussions to the media, as happened in this case. My contempt for such persons will not deflect my attention from the task of taking full political responsibility for the management of the SAPS. I, on behalf of the government, will insist that police management performs, that policing targets are set and met, and that there is more action and less talking.
It is correct that there have been tensions between the National Commissioner and myself around issues of management capacity, but there is no crisis. It is my view that serious capacity problems exist at senior management level within the police. What else can be expected from a management which has the enormous task of exercising command and control over approximately 140,000 persons, managing a budget of R11.9 billion and at the same time having the task of transforming the organisation. The result has been a vicious circle of crisis management.
In order to break out of the vicious circle, we need to find a formula which enables the National Commissioner and his management to focus more effectively on command and control matters relating to policing and crime, whilst the best expertise available in the country and abroad is brought in to assist with the management of support functions such as human resources, logistics and finances. I will soon be making further and more concrete announcements in this regard. I am committed to turning the SAPS around. This can be achieved through more effective management of support functions, as well as improved day-to-day policing services which make a difference on the ground in dealing with the high levels of crime.
My Department has commenced the complex process of developing a White Paper which will set out a coherent policy framework within which it will function. The Department will therefore have to be restructured to ensure that it functions according to the policy vision of the Government. By re-organising the department in this way, we will enable the SAPS to concentrate on its core functions, namely fighting crime, while ensuring that policy-making responsibility falls within the sphere of civilian responsibility, which should lie with the Secretariat.
The Secretariat was only established in 1996 and is, therefore, still in its formative stage of development. It has made good strides in developing capacity for its core functions, namely providing capacity for the Ministry, developing policy, and monitoring various activities within the department. A key role which the Secretariat has taken on is that of co-ordinating the activities of the National Crime Prevention Strategy. This includes the crucial task of ensuring increased co-ordination between my department and the other government departments who form part of the criminal justice system.
Madam Speaker, it has become common for speakers, both in the House and elsewhere, to proclaim the arrival of this country at new milestones in our transition to democracy. These announcements bear testimony to the fact that, indeed, the establishment and development of the institutions of democracy is proceeding apace. One of these milestones, which has been somewhat unheralded, was reached with the commencement of the operations of the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD).
The need for the ICD was recognised at the time of the negotiations which culminated with the adoption of the Interim Constitution was drafted. I am pleased to announce that the ICD commenced its work on April the first.
Although the ICD is an altogether separate vote, and its functions are independent of those of the Department for Safety and Security, it forms an integral part of this government's vision for policing.
In any democracy, it is the police department which is given the most extensive powers to infringe on the rights of citizens. These powers include the explicit recognition that the activities of the police can, and will, occasionally, result in the death of suspects. These powers are a necessary ingredient of any society's attempts to combat crime and violence. Nonetheless, they are not powers we confer on fallible officers lightly. It is here that the role of the ICD arises.
The ICD, as an independent body, will be responsible for ensuring that cases in which misconduct on the part of police officers is alleged, are investigated speedily, fairly and thoroughly. It will contribute to the growing sense of confidence of the community in the Police Service. It will also ensure that the Service can rid itself of officers whose conduct does not justify the responsibility the community has vested in them.
As an independent body, the ICD will be recruiting civilians into both its management and investigative structures. It will have offices around the country in order to ensure its accessibility to citizens. However, budgetary constraints mean that, for the present, the ICD will rely on selected police investigators. In addition, it will have offices in only three centres. Its authority and jurisdiction, however, will be nation-wide.
These constraints also mean that, for the moment, the ICD will focus primarily on cases in which civilians have died in custody or as a result of police action. Other complaints will, generally, be referred to the SAPS, but will be actively monitored by the ICD.
Police officers have nothing to fear of the ICD. It will not undermine their legitimate, constitutional and operational powers. Nor will it allow itself to be used by those who would depict all police officers as abusers of rights. On the contrary, in contributing to the building of public confidence; in helping to ensure that necessary reforms to police procedures are implemented; and in freeing up those officers presently investigating their colleagues, the ICD will enhance the effectiveness of the Service.
Madame Speaker, with reference to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), it is important to remind ourselves that people have until the tenth of May to apply for amnesty. I am told that there are many people, members of the security establishment as well as civilians, who, despite being implicated, have not yet applied for amnesty. I urge them to take advantage of the remaining few days and to submit their amnesty applications. They shall indeed have done themselves a great favour and shall have saved the criminal justice departments the trouble of having to deploy specialised investigators and prosecutors to deal with them.
At the insistence of the TRC, and of my own accord, I have held several meetings with current and past leadership of the police service. I know how strongly some of them feel about what they see as attempts by members of the successive National Party regimes to suggest that actions which resulted in the deaths and disappearances of so many people, were aberrations. I concur with many people who feel that the NP's attempts to scapegoat individual members of the security establishment does not only pathologise the issue, but also says much about their morality.
I have insisted that the previous government's morality, or lack thereof, is not a good enough reason for people to refuse to co-operate with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Those in the Department of Safety and Security who fail to co-operate with the TRC must know that, apart from opening themselves up to the possibility of prosecution, they are putting their jobs at risk.
Mulanga-dzulo:
Leneli la u vhuedzana Kha nne li khanikha zwilonda Zwe zwa vha zwi tshi vho toda u fhola.
Ndi tshi swika khalo, Muya wanga u a dzikuwa Sa tshisima tsho rahiwa nga lutshele.
Ndi humbula musi we mvula ya tsha Ri songo vhona musenga-vhadzimu. We a vha e tshixele-sa-nne A tuwa vhu nga madze. Ra ima nga milenzhe Ri tshi toda muthu o xela sa mbudzi.
Nwana wa khotsi anga iwe vhathu ! O sia muselwa wawe o lindela u tsa mirini. Kunwe kwa zwitoma zwawe Kwa pfa nga vha dzia-dzingano, Uri ovha e hone.
Zwe vha ita zwi divhiwa Nga vhone muiti na Mudzimu wavho. Thanzi dzo vha naledzi dza tadulu. Kha vha zwi divhe uri a si vhone vhe vhothe Vhe A tshi vha sika ha vha u difanyisa.
Vho khakha nge vha ri u dikweta vha si nukhedze. Arali vha nukhedze, vho vha vha tshi do wana zwo tea Uri na rine vhane vha muthu, Ri divhe tsho mulaho.
Vhana vha mukomana wanga Vha tshimbila vho fuka zwanda. A vha na tshiswa ndi magabulelo. Vhuswa vha la nge wa vhuhwavho a nea. Mbilu-mmbi ene, linwe la maduvha, U do shenganya mano.
Issued by: The Ministry for Safety and Security, 18 April 1997