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15 May 2015
Chairperson
Minister of Police, Hon. Mr. NPT Nhleko,
All Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr. Beukman,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
All MECs present,
National Commissioner of Police, General Phiyega,
All SAPS Top Management,
All SAPS Agencies Heads (IPID, PSIRA and the Civilian Secretary),
All police officers,
Members of the CPFs
Traditional Leadership and Civil Society,
Youth,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1
Chairperson,
Today, I rise up to support our Government’s theme and related programmes
for Africa Month: “We are Africa – Opening the doors of learning and culture
to promote peace and friendship...”.
We are pleased to indicate to South Africa at large, that the Ministry of
Police and its Department heeded the call by His Excellency, President Zuma,
to go out to our communities for engaging and addressing with our people to
curb and to totally stop the attacks on foreign nationals.
One of the places we visited was the Alexandra Township in Gauteng on 24th
April 2015, where we urged our people to show solidarity with our fellow
displaced Africans, and to come up with recommendations for Government to
effectively and efficiently reintegrate them back to their respective
communities.
During this Imbizo, a recommendation was made by a South African youth from
Alexandra.
Chairperson,
This young community member urged Government to bring youth developmental
opportunities closer to youth in the townships, to enable them to compete
equally with the foreign national business.
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The Department of Police is part of the broader Government, and as such, it
is also obliged to give ethos to youth development in South Africa.
In this instance, the Department of Police has established internship and
learnership programmes.
Chairperson,
For the financial year 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, SAPS had a total 1190 intake
of internships for unemployed graduates and needy matriculants.
SAPS can proudly announce that out of this combined total, 61 interns were
successfully absorbed as full-time employees of the Department.
We are also indebted to the Department of Higher Education and SASSETA for
collaborating with SAPS in the funding of the project “Safety in Society”.
This project focuses primarily on learners who have completed Level 4 Safety
Programme from Technical Vocational Education and Training Institutions.
This is a police driven qualification, which prepares the learners for a
career in policing.
3
In addition to the internship programme, the Department has, in this
financial year 2014/2015, took in a total of 375 unemployed learners, of
which 250 were successfully trained by an accredited training institution.
They have acquired an NQF 2 Automotive Maintenance and Repair.
Chairperson,
The Ministry of Police has also specifically recommended to the Department
to approve an intake of 20 funded interns for the Financial Year 2015/2016.
These unemployed young matriculants and graduates will be placed at the
Firearm, Liquor and Second-Hand Goods Control Component to assist with the
backlog collections and sorting of all related applications.
With these programmes, Chairperson, the Department of Police is supporting
youth development in South Africa, a future that must continue to build a
caring, sharing, and prosperous South Africa, for a stable, safe, welcoming,
and most of all, a law-abiding nation.
4
Chairperson,
Emphasis is made on the aspect of a nation of law-abiding citizens,
precisely because maintenance of law and order should be a pre- requisite to
the enjoyment of all Government successful efforts in developing, empowering
and prospering our youth, the future of this country.
We are emphasizing on this, because, almost all the few perpetrators of
foreign attacks and infrastructure vandalizing that happened last month,
were mostly youth and minors.
Our progressive Constitution allows public protests and demonstrations, but
these must be done within the confines of the law.
And our police officers are always challenged to find ways to address public
safety, as people must demonstrate or protest without detriment to
democratic rights of other inhabitants.
But, ideally, citizens, especially our youth, should not be engaging with
the state through violent and anarchist public protests and demonstrations.
Chairperson,
Our people must be encouraged to convey their grievances through their
elected public representatives (local councilors, members of parliament and
executive committee (MPs and MECs), and other relevant community leaders.
5
But, this can only be achieved if there is a willingness from all three
spheres of Government to work together, integrated and coordinated.
Chairperson,
The President saw this dire need for integrated and coordinated work, that
he introduced two critical new departments within his Office.
One is the Ministry of Planning, where its department was tasked to develop
a long-term planning document, so that Government could accordingly align at
all levels, its policies. The other was the Ministry of Performance
Monitoring and Evaluation.
In his own words, the President said: “the intention to establish these two
Departments was to move away from silos and parochial planning and look at
our country as one holistic entity that should develop comprehensively, in
every corner.
Together, we want to build a future of prosperity, with freedom from want,
disease, deprivation, illiteracy, landlessness, racism, xenophobia,
homophobia, and all social ills and related intolerances”. [CLOSE QUOTE]
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Chairperson,
The Department of Police commits itself to this call by the President. That
is why on 11th December 2014, the Department launched its Front-Line Service
Delivery Project.
This Front-Line Service Delivery Project is a dedicated programme aimed at
improving the experience of all the communities in the country when they
need services provided by the SAPS.
Nine police stations from nine provinces have been identified for the pilot
launch of this project: Philippi in the Western Cape; Wolmaransstand in
North West; Thabazimbi in Limpopo; Hartswater in Northern Cape; Kopanong in
Free State; Alexandra in Gauteng; Amangwe in KwaZulu- Natal; Kabokweni in
Mpumalanga; and Butterworth in the Eastern Cape.
Chairperson,
The programme includes addressing the professional conduct of police
officers, how they treat the public, ensuring that police stations are
accessible to the public, and that the first point of interaction between
police and public is a positive one.
National Instructions are also circulated to all police stations in the
country on wearing prescribed uniform, which include wearing chest
badges/name plates to identify a police officer.
7
We regard as a serious offence if a police officer refuses to identify
him/herself to a complainant, because these are the culprits who tend to
ill- treat, secondary traumatize and abuse victims of crime when they report
cases, especially those related to sexual offenses and domestic violence.
Chairperson,
It is important to note that all police stations, including the identified 9
for pilot project FSD, are located at local government level, a primary site
for service delivery and related protests and demonstrations; if service is
deemed unsatisfactorily by the citizens.
And, if we don’t address the persistent criticism against SAPS in particular
and Government in general, then there could be a real danger that continuous
criticism may reduce and could destroy the effectiveness of law enforcement.
This means, Chairperson, to improve service delivery at front-line service
Departments, including SAPS, we constantly need public servants that are
committed to delivering quality service to our citizens; and we need
Departments who are willing to work together, so as to move away from
departmental silo-based frameworks.
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It is with this reason that both the Ministries of COGTA and Monitoring and
Evaluation, have come up with monitoring and intervention instruments to “go
back to basics” in order for all Government Departments to serve our
communities better.
Chairperson,
The SAPS, as other Departments, is urged to adjust its monitoring and
evaluation framework to include mechanisms for incorporating the views and
experiences of the citizens on service delivery.
The SAPS is continuing therefore, to engage our citizens through the imbizos
and other public platforms, to resolve complex service delivery challenges
to fight crime.
Chairperson,
We can assure the nation, that these SAPS Imbizos are never talk-shops.
These are the platforms where we receive, NOT only complaints, but also very
useful pragmatic recommendations from the public on how we as the SAPS can
improve on our mandate.
Consequently, the Department of Police has come up with a host of
inter-departmental projects and programmes, thanks to the advices received
from the public at these imbizos.
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For instance, during an Imbizo in 2009, citizens begged Government to bring
back the abolished Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences
Units (FCS Units). The public insisted that crimes against women and
children still needed special handling and investigation.
Promptly so, Cabinet agreed, and the then Minister of Police re-established
these FCS Units the following year in 2010.
Chairperson,
The SAPS is continuing on the successes of the FCS programme attained since
its re- establishment.
Not only is the Department of Police succeeding in inflicting maximum
sentences on these heinous criminals who rape, molest and murder our most
vulnerable (women, children, disabled and elderly).
The Department is ALSO putting extra measures to improve the FCS on its
mandate.
In this instance, Chairperson, a th National Conference on FCS was held on
14 August 2014, and three fundamental resolutions were undertaken to ensure
improved efficiency and effectiveness of its programmes:
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- Separate FCS performance from the Division of Detective Service to give
true assessment of crimes against women and children.
- Relocate accommodation from police premises to minimize secondary
traumatizing of victims; and increment of sexual offences courts to increase
privacy.
- Increase capacity at National office for special focus on sexual offences
and policies; cyber crime; and the elderly; and retain skilled and
experienced members
Chairperson,
This is indeed a show of commitment from the Department of Police in
ensuring that there is a sole mandate for investigating case against the
most vulnerable of our society.
The Civilian Secretariat of Police will also assist the SAPS’ compliance
with the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, by developing a
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) with SAPS.
Cognizance is also taken on the concern raised by the Portfolio Committee on
Police, on the low target number set for schools to be linked with police
stations through the SAPS Schools Safety Programme, for the Financial Year
2015/2016.
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Notwithstanding, Chairperson, the Department will also advance the school
safety programme through intense monitoring and evaluation process.
Chairperson,
The monitoring will promptly address challenges raised by different
provinces on the roll-out of the Safety School Programme, which has already
seen a total of 16169 schools linked to police stations country-wide, since
the National Launch in 2011.
The SAPS is planning to hold an inter- departmental meeting with the
Departments of Basic Education and Public Works to address related problems
of boundaries and infrastructure.
Chairperson,
Such taking of stock and accountability can only assist the Department of
Police in securing the confidence, respect, and trust of the South African
public.
No police force can discharge on its mandate without the cooperation and
confidence of the public, because it is the people who lay charges, who make
statements, who testify in court, and who ultimately and inevitably assist
the police in the performance of their duties.
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Chairperson,
We must, nevertheless understand and appreciate that the police-people trust
should be mutual and reciprocal.
Yes, we agree that police officers must always ensure to use their given
mandate with responsibility and sound judgment.
At the same time, we call upon our communities to better understand the
value of the police, and the severe strenuous circumstances they work under.
We need to understand that not all police officers are corrupt, not all
police officers are brutal.
Chairperson,
A lot of our police officers always go beyond the call of duty to provide
services to the citizens’ expectations, and at times surpassing the public’s
expectation.
So, as the Ministry of Police, we will continue to pay special attention to
police officer wellness in its entirety.
Already, we have requested the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police
to assist the Department to lead the restructuring of various outdated
policies of the SAPS.
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This will ensure that, amongst other things, the DPSA National Strategic
Framework of Employee Health and Wellness is aligned to the SAPS Employee
Health and Wellness Programme.
Chairperson,
The Police Leadership is committed to the reviewing of some of the draconian
policies that detriment and negate the police officers’ work environment;
their living conditions; their career progression; and indeed their
dependants’ livelihood when they passed on.
Chairperson,
In last year’s Budget Vote, the Ministry of Police announced that there was
a functioning SAPS Non-Statutory Forces Project (NSF) Office with nine
Provincial Project Offices in nine provinces.
The main goal of this project is to remedy the injustice and discrimination
exercised against former members of the NSF when they got integrated within
the SAPS during the years 1994 and 1995.
We are thus delighted to register the following progress in this regard:
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- The Re-Ranking and Appeals Committee have been established, and their
respective Working Terms of Reference are currently being finalized. The
Committees will assume their mandates no later than 1st June 2015 to
consider 488 former NSF members.
- Recognition of Full Service: Appointment dates are now being adjusted to
reflect a combined service. Already 692 out of 1075 have been rectified on
Persal.
- Skills Development: 36 bursaries have already been awarded to qualifying
former NSF members to further their studies.
- Leave and Medical benefits are now currently being adjusted on Persal
System and considered by the SAPS Medical Scheme, respectively.
Chairperson,
With the SAPS NSF Project, we, as the Ministry of Police, are setting an
unequivocal example when it comes to the exercise of our given mandate and
our daily interaction with both our public and police officers.
Where there is a need for Government action, the Police Leadership will
continue show the political will to take that action decisively.
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Through determined leadership, the Ministry of Police will continue initiate
programmes and projects that will both benefit police morale and people’s
needs.
Chairperson,
As we continue to celebrate 20 years of SAPS existence, let us all as a
nation be inspired for a safe, secure, stable and prosperous South Africa,
through the words of the late Father of the Nation, Nelson Rolihlahla
Mandela:
“Let us NEVER be unmindful of the terrible past from which we come – using
that memory not as means to keep us shackled to the past in a negative
manner, but rather as a joyous reminder of how far we have come and how much
we have achieved. My wish is that South Africans never give up on the belief
of goodness, that they cherish that faith in human beings as a cornerstone
of our democracy”.
The budget vote is hereby supported in its entirety.
I thank you all.
Enquiries:
Ms Nomsa Hani
Head of Office & Spokesperson
Office of the Deputy Minister of Police
Ministry of Police
Private Bag X463
PRETORIA
0001
Tel: +27 12 3934469 / 21 4677023
Fax: +27 12 3934469 / 21 4614174
Cell: +27 (0) 82 772 2053
E-mail:
E-mail:
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