Links | Contact us | Find us | FAQ
top banner
Home >> Newsroom >> Speech
Minister of Police, Mr Fikile Mbalula, MP, Press Conference to outline the Ministry’s Strategic Plan for the Period 2017- 2019, Police Academy, Pretoria

25 April 2017

It is exactly 25 Days since the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Gedleyihlekisa Jacob Zuma, assigned Deputy Minister, Bongani Mkongi and I to the Ministry of Police. The President issued a clarion call to us to prevent and combat crime in South Africa in all its facets. The President is acutely cognizant of the fear that crime drives into the hearts of many South Africans, and the barriers crime places in the pathway of development and economic growth. Crime prevents South Africans from taking their rightful place in society and is a serious threat to our nascent democracy.

Our deployment in this Ministry has once more chillingly reminded us of how crime and criminality undermines our hard earned freedom, and denigrates our Bill of Rights as enshrined in our much lauded and internationally acclaimed non-racial, non-sexist and democratic constitution. Crime has become the biggest threat to our freedoms and rights, and a danger to national security and sovereignty. The social fabric of our society is slowly being eroded due to criminality and blatant disregard of the law. Hence we have come to the conclusion that society is under siege and we must mobilize communities to fight crime.

Our harsh approach to criminality is informed by existing material conditions that compromise the safety and security of our country and its citizenry. We mean it when we pronounce that it is going to be business ‘unusual’ in our sector as we escalate our campaign of zero tolerance to crime. We are revisiting the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) and its 4 Pillars:

  1. Strengthening the Criminal Justice System.
  2. Reduce Crime through Environmental Design.
  3. Introduce initiatives that induce Public Values and Education.
  4. Combating Trans-National Crime
In order to give practical effect to the President’s marching orders and in our endeavor to translate Government’s declaration of crime as one of the five apex priorities, we have been engaged in on-going consultations with internal and external stakeholder to share perspectives and to develop a common approach to crime prevention. We are beginning to coalesce on a range of fundamental principles and approaches and we will consolidate on this basis going forward.

We appreciate the warm reception we received from our internal and external stakeholders including our partners the trade unions since we took on the reigns of the Ministry for police. We extend an open invitation to all men and women of good will to join hands with us in the fight against crime.

In order to respond to the immediate task at hand with the urgency it deserves, the Ministry of Police convened a Strategic Planning Session on the 23rd to the 24th April 2017. The Strategic Planning Session comprised of the Ministry, the South African Police Service and the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service. In the main the Strategic Planning Session was convened with a view to translate our mandate into practice. We converged as we did in order to quicken the tempo of empowering the men and women in blue in the escalation of the war against crime.

The Theme of the Strategic Planning Session being: Society under siege- mobilizing communities to action, struck a deep chord that will galvanize all sectors into action. The Strategic Planning Session was convened with the following objectives in mind:
  • Chief among the objectives of the Strategic Planning Session was the provision of a rougher exposition of the structure, architecture and human resource capacity of the Secretariat,
  • Central to the deliberations of the Strategic Planning Session was the appraisal of the sector on the Ministry’s perspective on crime prevention and future of policing in South Africa.
  • The Sessions presented an opportunity to the Minister and Deputy Minister to receive a series of detailed briefings from the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS) on the status of Policing in South Africa and a comprehensive presentation from the South African Polices Service (SAPS) on the Back to Basics Approach to Policing and related topics.
  • The Sector charted a way forward, on the basis of the Presentations and developed a Strategic Plan and a Programme of Action for implementation over the next two years. The two interrelated interventions are informed by the following principles and values: -
  • Sector convergence and deepening the understanding of the key priorities and on what is to be done.
  • Alignment of all sector activities within the policing environment into an omnibus Strategic Plan and all encompassing Programme of Action (PoA) for 2017, 2018 and 2019.
  • Drawing from all our human and material resources to boost the morale of the South African Police Service.
  • Boosting the morale of the police, Inspire hope in society, instill fear in the criminals as our mantra.
  • Promoting ethical and morale leadership all levels and spheres in the sector.
  • Underscoring the need for prudent and efficient utilisation of resources within the system.
Our Constitution states that Minister of Police is responsible for policing and the development of national policing policy that will direct the National Commissioner of SAPS to manage and control the police service. In terms of the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS) Act, the Civilian Secretary for Police Service must present legislation, as directed by the Minister, in Parliament. The CSPS is charged with the responsibility of providing advice to the Minister of Police.

Our policing environment is further impacted upon by the National Development Plan (NDP) as the strategic framework for government planning towards attaining Vision 2030. The NDP intent is to impact upon the landscape of policing in that the NDP reaffirms the need for a police service that forms part of an integrated criminal justice system and that is demilitarised, professional and community-centric.

To realise the imperatives of the NDP and to keep up to the changing policing landscape, it became important to review the 1998 White Paper on Safety & Security. The culmination of this review resulted in the adoption of the 2016 White Paper on Policing and 2016 White Paper on Safety and Security.

POLICY FRAMEWORK

I will be signing more policies that are at an advanced stage of finalization in the current financial year, which would require flawless implementations by SAPS and other stakeholders.

The policy on Improving the Quality and Functioning of the SAPS Detective Service has been developed and provides guidelines for the SAPS in reviewing and aligning its operational strategies and instructions leading to improved criminal investigations.

A policy on the Investigation and Management of Serial Rape and Serial Murder was developed. South Africa records a high number of serial rape and serial murder cases. A number of high profile incidents of serial murder and serial rape have resulted in South Africa being referred to as being amongst the highest globally. Currently most rape and murder series are identified by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) linkages, rather than modus operandi. We will ensure proper coordination and collaboration by all existing structures, such as the DNA Database, the Serial DNA Team, the Investigative Psychology Section and trained investigators, to ensure that these serial rape and murder cases are identified early and properly investigated by qualified investigators, in a consistent manner.

A National Integrated Anti-Gang Strategy was adopted by Cabinet which provides for interventions targeted at socio-economic issues surrounding gangsterism and its root causes, addressed in a multi-agency fashion, incorporating government departments at all spheres, in partnership with civil society and communities.

A Use of Force Policy has been developed to provide all members of the SAPS with clear and consistent guidelines regarding the use of force while engaged in the discharge of their official duties. We will during our Roadshows and visits to community Police Stations together with Civilian Secretariat for Police Service.

Research shows that sexual offences and domestic violence are under-reported crimes due to barriers that do not support victims of these crimes. Some of the reasons provided as to the under-reporting include victim’s perceptions that they will be badly treated by SAPS members and other officials working in the criminal justice system and the belief that nothing will come of reporting to the police, amongst others. In order address this matter, a policy on Removing Barriers to Reporting on Sexual Offence & Domestic Violence has been developed and handed over to the SAPS. I will, after receiving inputs from the SAPS inputs, approve the Policy for implementation in this current financial year.

Our Programme of Action in the 2017/2018 financial year involves the prioritisation of the development of an E-Policing Policy. This policy seeks to implement the recommendations of the 2016 White Paper on Policing which proposes the SAPS as the 21st century police which is information driven, analytically sound, with dedicated systems and processes that integrate seamlessly with other role players within the criminal justice value chain.

The Single Police Service is an imperative of the Government and calls for the implementation of the single police service, and the incorporation of the Municipal Police Service (MPS). The Government long decided that for all police services to be placed under the command and control of the National Commissioner of the SAPS as a force multiplier. The initiative to establish the Single Police Service forms the bedrock of our Programme of Action. A draft discussion document on the Single Police Service has been developed and addresses the following:
  • Establishment of uniform criteria for the approval of the establishment of Municipal Police Service, and to review and assess the status quo;
  • Establishment of uniform Training Standards and ensuring compliance thereof;
  • Establishment of a uniform Disciplinary Framework (Code of Conduct and Standing Orders);
  • Determination of the processes for inter-sphere police service / law enforcement cooperation;
  • Ensure compliance with section 64K of the SAPS Act (Policing Co-ordinating Committees); and
  • Assessment and review of the performance of Municipal Police in national policing efforts and priorities.
It is our intention to give effect to this Policy during the 2017/2018 financial year.

LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

The 2016 White Paper on Safety & Security seeks to promote an integrated approach to safety and security, and to facilitate the objectives outlined in the NDP in terms of building safer communities. The primary objective of this policy is to provide an overarching framework for safety, crime and violence prevention in order to facilitate synergy and alignment of other Government policies on safety and security.
The 2016 White Paper on Policing seeks to support the NDP’s vision of a professional, demilitarised, highly skilled police service that is efficient, effective, accountable, human-rights based, and respected by all.

The following pieces of legislation have been prioritised as part of the Programme of Action the period 2017 to 2019. The Bills to be tabled in Parliament for 2017 include the following:

The Critical Infrastructure Protection Bill seeks to repeal the National Key Points Act that deals with the protection of National Key Points Act. The Bill provides for the legal framework for the declaration and protection of critical infrastructure (currently referred to as National Key Points) under the authority of the Minister, with the advice and recommendations of a Council that is appointed by the Minister.

The Firearms Control Act provides the legal framework for the registration and control of firearms. The Firearms Control Amendment Bill seeks to strengthen the Act and to respond to key policy proposals that impact on the control of firearms as well as the limitation of firearms licences that may be issued. The Bill is underpinned by the principles that relate to the reduction of firearms in circulation and the non-proliferation of both legal and illegal firearms. The Program of Action includes the flowing -
  • The Amendment Bill in its technical format responds to the policy to strengthen the legal regime on firearms and restricts the number of firearms that may be issued to an applicant.
  • Prepare preliminary Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System. (SEIAS) Report and Cabinet Memorandum.
I will process the Bill publish it for public comment before introducing it in Parliament by end September 2017.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Act provides the statutory authority of IPID to investigate acts of criminality and corruption committed by members of SAPS and the municipal police services. The Program of Action that will culminate in the introduction of the Amendment Bill in Parliament will include the following:
  • The Draft Amendment Bill, which is being drafted with IPID, responds to judgement of the Constitutional Court that relate to the power of the Minister to suspend and initiate disciplinary proceeding against the Executive Director of IPID.
  • I am reviewing the Bill and will after our considerations process it for Government approval by end October 2017.
The Animal Movement and Animal Products Bill seeks to repeal the Stock Theft Act and update the legal framework on the regulation of the movement of animals and animal products. The Program of Action that will culminate in the introduction of the Amendment Bill in Parliament will include the following:
  • Finalising the draft Bill, that has already been drafted, after consultation with identified communities and stakeholders on the draft Amendment Bill.
  • The Bill will be submitted to Cabinet by end of October for consideration and approval.
The South African Police Service Amendment Bill seeks to enhance the South African Police Service Act and to align it with the Constitution of the Republic, the White Paper on Policing and the White Paper on Safety & Security, as well as subordinate policies that flow from the White Papers.

The Program of Action that will culminate in the introduction of the Amendment Bill in Parliament will include the following -
  • Aligning the Bill with policies subordinate to the White Papers to be finalised. These include-
  • Single Police Service policy
  • Community Police Forum (CPF) policy
  • Reservists Policy
  • Community Safety for a (CSF) policy to align with the legislative mandates of other organs of state
  • Considering relevant judgments of Courts that impact on policing.
The Protection of Constitutional Democracy & Terrorist-Related Matters Amendment Bill seeks to update the principal Act with regard to the status of international instruments to which South Africa has become a party. It also seeks to amend the definition of “terrorist activity” so that it can be in line with the recent legal developments.

The Program of Action that will culminate in the introduction of the Amendment Bill in Parliament will include the following:

Persistent areas of under-performance in the SAPS Annual Performance Plan were identified within three financial programmes by SAPS management, which include areas of management of service terminations; provision of employee health and wellness and incidents leading to civil claims against the SAPS.
Areas of under-performance as it relates to serious crimes and crimes against women; recovery of stolen/lost state-owned firearms and of stolen / robbed vehicles; volume of liquor confiscated as a result of police actions; national & provincial crime awareness campaigns conducted.
Areas of under-performance in Detective Service as it relates detection rate: serious crime, contact crime, crimes dependent on police action, crimes against women above 18 years and crimes against children under 18 years; conviction rate: crimes against women above 18 years; percentage trial-ready case dockets: serious crimes, crimes dependent on police action, crimes against women above 18 years & crimes against children under 18 years.

To address the above, senior management of SAPS identified the need for the introduction of the “Back-to-Basics” approach to policing. This approach focuses on every member of SAPS reverting to the established regulatory framework, or simply put, “doing right things right, every time”, supplemented by Division: Management Intervention whose role is to “Assess & Fix” the identified problem areas.

In support of the Back to Basics approach, the following priorities will form part of our Programme of Action.

Demilitarization of the SAPS has been identified as one of the priorities to ensure that people are and feel safe in the National Development Plan. Following the Marikana tragedy, the Commission of Inquiry amplified the urgency of addressing this matter as part of its recommendations.

A research that was conducted by the Civilian Secretariat focused on only two units of the SAPS (i.e. the Public Order Policing (POP) and the Tactical Response Team (TRT). The key recommendations of this research must be implemented in order to address the perception of a militarized SAPS, these are:
  • Ensure that specialized units trained in medium to high risk operations do not get involved in frontline policing.
  • Ensure that SAPS Visible Policing (VISPOL) is strengthened and sufficiently resourced to deal with citizens and not use the TRT to augment capacity.
Part of our Programme of Action is expediting the implementation of the Presidential project on recommendations of the Panel of Experts, established to give effect to the Farlam Commission recommendations. The Farlam Commission of Inquiry was set up to principally address issues pertaining to the policing of public unrest as a result of the Marikana incidents, and transcends concerns surrounding the Public Order Police Unit. Of consequence was the reported failure of SAPS to provide high quality leadership, follow established command and control protocols, adhere to human rights principles and conduct policing within a democratic framework.

The visibility of police in the communities contributes towards the deterrent of crime. Currently on average the proportion of SAPS members at police stations who are involved in frontline activities totals 43%; this means that 57% of SAPS members are employed in administrative and supervisory positions. It is my intention to move swiftly in shifting of administrative responsibilities from SAPS members to employees appointed as per the Public Service Administration Act. This will allow more SAPS members to be involved in frontline activities.

The use of technology in reporting crimes assists in reducing the response time to crime incidences. It is my intention to prioritise the assessment of the capacity and functionality of the 10111 call centres. The aim of this assessment is to identify the gaps that need to be addressed in order to enhance the functionality of the 10111 centres or consider complete overhaul.

A study focusing on the Economics of Policing and the Economics of Crime will be undertaken in 2018/19 financial year. Crime is a major burden to society in terms of death, injury and the impact on families, and has incalculable value. Factors such as, illicit financial outflows, cross border traffic related crimes, white collar crime, cost to SAPS to fight crime, cost to secure property, and material losses for all victims through medical and life insurance, has impacted on the individual and State. The study will seek to determine the actual monetary cost of crime to the country.

Fleet Management for SAPS remains a key challenge, and the Civilian Secretariat oversight reports have identified the shortage of vehicles to respond to crime as a major service delivery impediment. These includes provision of vehicles that are not suitable for the local terrains, long periods of vehicle repairs at SAPS garages and long periods for replacing boarded vehicles. This affects the provision of service and the fight against crime. The turn-around strategy on SAPS fleet management will be developed and implemented in the 2017/18 financial year.

South Africa has four Forensic Science Laboratories that service the entire country. Delays in resolving cases that are dependent on forensic analysis cannot be tolerated and the Laboratories will be revamped and fully capacitated. This action will enable full resourcing of the Forensic Science Laboratories to ensure effective and efficient services will be a priority for the Minister in the next two years.

Cyber-crime encompasses 'any illegal act involving a computer and all activities done with criminal intent in cyber-space or which are computer-related. Challenges faced by communication technologies in cyber-security, pose a serious threat to society at large, economically, socially and politically.

The National Security Strategy (NSS) was adopted by Cabinet on December 2013. A product of the NSS is the development of a Cyber-Crime Bill which seeks to address the challenges around cybercrime and related threats. This Bill was introduced in Parliament in February 2017. The Bill proposes that a Cyber-Crime Centre be established within SAPS to deal with the threats in an integrated and coordinated manner. Of importance is the development of Regulations by the Minister within six months of the Act coming into operation.

Destruction of the 2010 amnesty firearms - SAPS implemented a firearms amnesty in 2010. A total of 42 329 firearms were received. These firearms were supposed to undergo ballistic testing through the Integrated Ballistic Intelligence System (IBIS) to determine if the firearms were used in the commission of crimes, and the process thereafter is the destruction of the firearms. An oversight visit found that some of the firearms are still at some police stations and have not been destroyed. The concern is that these firearms may still be used to commit crimes. It is my intention to prioritise the destruction of these fire-arms.

Our enhancement of the functioning of the Central Firearms Register (CFR) will include the following:
  • Advise and support the Minister in directing the Registrar of CFR on firearms control and to the police strategy to address illegal firearms and the non-proliferation of firearms
  • Monitor the implementation of the Turnaround Strategy of the CFR
Boosting the morale of the Men and Women in blue is the cornerstone of our Programme of Action. Oversight visits to police stations have identified the extensive use of sick leave by SAPS members. This raises questions about the health and welfare of the SAPS members and points to a need for health and welfare programmes to service members. Although Chaplains and Social Workers are situated at cluster level, Psychologists are only found at National and Provincial levels. As part of improving the working conditions and thus boosting the morale of the SAPS members, a fully resourced Employee Health and Wellness Programs will be established at cluster level.

Crime prevention is a key imperative in the fight against crime. For us to succeed in this regard we need a comprehensive Partnership Strategy to mobilize all role players and stakeholders to strengthen service delivery by the police service to ensure the safety and security of communities. The partnership strategy must be underpinned by the following themes derived from the 2016 White Paper on Safety and Security:
  • Effective criminal justice system
  • Early intervention to prevent crime and violence, and promote safety
  • Victim support
  • Effective and integrated service delivery for safety, security and violence and crime prevention
  • Safety through environmental design
  • Active public and community participation
Additional actions in crime prevention will include the following:
  • Identifying and concluding Memoranda of Agreements (MOAs) with strategic stakeholders in a fight against crime
  • Enhancing stakeholders and community participation in safety and crime prevention programmes through izimbizo, working groups, Community Safety Forums (CSFs) and Community Policing Forums (CPFs)
  • Organizing and facilitating Provincial and National Dialogue Conferences to deliberate on Combating Crime and making our community Safer.
  • Strengthening School Safety Committees and forums to curb crime and violence at schools and higher learning institutions.
Litigation against the Minister of Police, as the Executive Authority of SAPS, has vast financial implications for the fiscus and needs to be carefully managed to reduce the volume of civil claims, the quantum of damages and the legal costs that are paid by the State.
A sustainable and multi-disciplinary strategy is needed to address the problem relating to the involvement of youth in crime. Amongst the interventions is the engagement of the youth in diversion programs that will involve their participation in constructive activities. This is designed to instill a sense of belonging in society and re-enforcing a culture of identity and dignity.

The diversion programs may involve the various sporting codes, recreational activities and strategies to address and reducing substance abuse. The diversion programs, at the level of government, will involve a multi-disciplinary approach involving departments that include the Department of Sports & Recreation, the Department of Social Development, the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Co-operative Government. The establishment and functioning of Youth Desks and Street Committees in the various communities will contribute to harnessing the energies of marginalized youth in constructive diversion programs that will contribute to their personal development. Youth empowerment programs can also be developed with civil society organisations and other NGO’s. In order to ensure the sustainability of the empowerment programs, skills development and facilitating entry into gainful employment will be an advantage.

Our Strategic Plan and Programme of Action is a turning point in the fight against crime and we will succeed in turning the tide through partnerships and collaboration with all sectors of society.

Thank You

Enquiries
Mr Vuyo Mhaga
Spokesperson for Police Ministry
Tel No: 0766365193

bursa escort - bursa escort - bursa escort - bursa escort -