Modulasetulo, Letona le kgabane le Motlatsi wa Letona. Ke tlotla ho nna ho nka karolo ditherisanong tsa kajeno.
Ke batla ho qala ka hore, kgaolo ya 205 ya Molaotheo wa selemo sa 1996, e fa sepolesa boikarabelo ba ho thibela le ho fuputsa tlolo ya molao, hore ho be le botsitso setjhabeng; ho sireletsa le ho boloka Maafrika Borwa mmoho le thepa ya bona; ho boloka le ho kenya tshebetsong melao ya naha ena.
Boikarabelo ba ditekanyetso tsena ke ho hlokomela hore mohopolo le maano a lefapha a tshehetswa ka ditjhelete ho phethahatsa boikarabelo. Ho na le dibaka ka hara naha ya rona tse hlokang polokeho, hobane ha ho na dikantoro tsa sepolesa; haholoholo dibakeng tsa rona tse mahaeng.
Re thoholetsa lefapha ka mekutu eo le e entseng, ho aha le ho lokisa tse neng di le maemomg a sa lokang, moo ho neng ho le bobebe hore batshwaruwa ba balehe, le tseo di sa ntseng di tlo ho ahwa di bolokehe mme di kgone ho amohela le batho basa itekanelang.
Batjha ba naha ena ba bangata ba iphumana ba sa sebetse ha ba qeta ho bala sekolong. E se e ka sepolesa se ka etsa ka hohlehohle ho nka batjha ba iswe thupellong le kwetlisong ya maemo a hodimo hore ba kgone ho tlo thusa ho lwantshana le botlokotsebe, hobane ha ba sa etse letho ba qetella ba etsa diketso tsa tlolo ya molao.
Ditekanyetso tsena di tlamehile ho arabela bofokoding bo teng sepoleseng, bo amanang le ho ajwa ha mehlodi twantshong ya bosenyi. Sepolesa se tlamehile ho aba batho ba nang le bokgoni ba tsamaiso le ho fuputsa dibakeng tseo ba hlokehang ho tsona. Dikoloi le tsona di tlamehile ho ya dibakeng tseo tlolo ya molao e atileng ho tsona, mme le mahaeng di tlamehile ho iswa.
Ditekanyetso tsena di tlamehile ho sebetsana le ho phahamiswa mesebetsing ha mapolesa ho ya ka bokgoni ba bona ba ho sebetsa le hore ba fumane meputso e hantle, e tla etsang hore ba se ke ba amohela tjotjo ho tswa mashodung, ba leka ho phetha mabaka ka lebaka la meputso e tlase.
Ditekanyetso tsena di tlamehile ho arabela diphetohong tse tlamehileng ho ba teng sepoleseng, maemong a hodimo a tsamaiso ya sepolesa. Batho ba batsho, Maindia le ba mmala ba tlamehile ho bewa maemong a hodimo a taolo ho ya ka thuto le bokgoni ba bona, e le ho fetola maemo a siilweng ke kgethollo. Batho ba bomme ka ho kgetholleha le batho ba nang le diphephetso mmeleng, le bona ba tlamehile ho fuwa menyetla ya bona.
Ditekanyetso tsena di tlamehile ho thusa mapolesa a nang le nnete, a sebetsang ka botshepehi, ho ntsha ka hara bona bana ba se nang botshepehi, ba nang le dikamano le mashodu. Ho ba le dikamano le mashodu e le mapolesa ho ba etsa mashodu le bona, mme ba tlameha ho ntshuwa sepoleseng, hobane ha se mapolesa ke mashodu. Ba thusang batshwaruwa ho baleha ditlamong; ba utswang ditokomane le dithunya tsa mosebetsi; ba fang mashodu lesedi hore na dithibella tsa mebileng di etsuwa kae, ba tlamehile ho ntshuwa sepoleseng, ha ba na sebaka.
Ditekanyetso tsena di tlamehile ho fana ka kwetliso le thupello e hodimo ho sepolesa hore ba kgone ho etsa mosebetsi o phethahetseng, ba iswe mafatsheng a mang, ha ho kgoneha, hore maemo a bona a tshebetso a phahame.
Kgethollo eo ho tletlejwang ka yona sepoleseng e tlamehile ho fela, hobane re batla ho aha setjhaba se sa kgetheng batho ho ya ka merabe. Diforamo tsa setjhaba tsa bopolesa di tlamehile ho matlafatswa di thuswe ho kgobokanya setjhaba sa rona kgahlano le bosenyi, mme di kgothalletswe ho sebetsa mmoho le sepolesa hobane batho bana ba tlolang molao ba dula ka hara rona.
Setjhaba sa rona le sona se hlokomediswe hore ho bolawa ha mapolesa ho fekisa ntwa kgahlano le bosenyi. Molao o tshwanela ho sebetsana hampe le batho ba bolayang mapolesa, ka tsela e tla ba bea maemong a lokileng. Mapolesa le ona a etse ka hohlehohle hore a bolokehe, ka ho apara diaparo tsa bona tse ba sireletsang nakong ya mosebetsi.
Naha ya rona e fuwe monyetla wa ho hlophisa dipapadi tsa mohope wa lefatshe. Mme batho ba tswang mafatsheng a ka ntle ho tla nka karolo, ba tla tla tshehetsa dinaha tsa bona. Boikarabelo bo ho sepolesa sa rona ho sireletsa boemafonane; dihotele; mabala a dipapadi; le dibaka moo batho ba tlang ho boha dipapadi teng.
Mashodu le ona a tlo nka monyetla wa ho rekisa dithethefatsi, ba hwebe ka batho, haholoholo bana, ba tlo etswa diotswa. Ditshoso tse etswang tsa ho phatlola diqhomane ka maikemisetso a ho senya dipapadi ke boikarabelo bo shebaneng le sepolesa sa rona, mme re tshepa hore ba ikemiseditse.
Mmuso wa ANC ke mmuso o hlomphang ditokelo le ho itseka ha basebetsi. Ntwa ya basebetsi, ya nyollelo ya moputso ka nako ena, e tlo sitisa sepolesa sa rona ho tsepamisa maikutlo ho sireletseng bahahlaudi, nakong ya dipapadi. Re ipiletsa ho baetapele, basebetsi le beng ba dikhampani ho buisana le ho dumellana hore nakong ya dipapadi ho se be le boipelaetso ba basebetsi bo tla hloka sepolesa ho shebana le batho ba tsekang nyollelo ya meputso.
Re tshepa hore ho tla ba le tshebedisanommoho pakeng tsa sepolesa sa rona le sepolesa se tswang ka ntle, hore ho be le tshireletso e hantle. ANC e tshehetsa ditekanyetso. Ke a leboha. [Mahofi.] (Translation of Sesotho speech follows.)
[Mr T M H MOFOKENG: Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, it is an honour for me to take part in today's discussions.
I would like to start by saying that section 205 of the 1996 Constitution charges the police with the responsibility to prevent and investigate illegal activities so that there is stability in the country; to protect and keep South Africans together with their property safe; and to protect and keep the laws of this country, in effect.
The purpose of this budget is to ensure that the programmes and policies of the department receive financial support so that the department can fulfil its responsibilities. There are areas in this country which do not have adequate safety and protection because there are no police stations, especially in our rural areas.
We would like to congratulate the department on its efforts to build and fix those prisons that were in a state of disrepair, where it was easy for prisoners to escape from jail. The ones that are still to be built must be safe and should be user-friendly even for the physically disabled.
Many of the youth of this country find themselves unemployed after graduating from high school. It would be a good thing if the department could do everything in its power to recruit the youth and send them for training of the highest order so that they can come back and assist in the fight against crime, because if they don't do anything they end up committing crime themselves.
This budget is supposed to address the shortcomings in the police department in regard to the distribution of resources in the fight against crime. The department must deploy individuals who have the ability to manage and conduct investigations in areas that have such needs. Police vehicles should also be allocated to areas where there is a high incidence of crime, even in the rural areas.
This budget must address issues of promotion in the Police Service according to the police officers' abilities so that they are remunerated accordingly, which will help in preventing them from accepting bribes from criminals as a way of supplementing their low salaries.
This budget must deal with the changes that must be introduced in the upper echelons of the Police Service. Blacks, Indians and coloureds must be appointed to high management positions in accordance with their qualifications and abilities as a way of redressing the imbalances of apartheid. Women in particular, as well as the physically challenged, must also be afforded opportunities.
This budget must help honest policemen, who are dedicated, by removing those who are dishonest and who have links with criminals. To have links with criminals whilst being a policeman makes them criminals too, therefore they have to be rooted out of the Police Service because they are not policemen, they are criminals. Those who help prisoners to escape from jail, those who steal documents and weapons from work, and those who give criminals information about where roadblocks are going to be set up must be removed from the Police Service. There is no place for them.
This budget must be able to provide education and training of the highest order for the police in order for them to be able to perform their duties effectively. They should be sent to other countries, if possible, so that their standard of work can improve.
Complaints about discrimination in the Police Service must come to an end because we want to build a society where there is no discrimination based on race. National police forums must be strengthened and assisted in order to unite our nation against crime, and they must be encouraged to work together with the police because the people who break the law live amongst us. Our people must also be aware that the killing of police officers makes it difficult to fight crime. The law must be particularly harsh on those who kill members of the police, so that the lives of the police can be protected. Police themselves must also try by all means to be safe by wearing protective body armour whilst on duty.
Our country has been given the opportunity to organise the soccer World Cup tournament and people from participating countries will be coming to support their teams. It is therefore the responsibility of the police to provide adequate security at the airports, hotels, sports stadia and venues where people will be watching the matches.
Criminals are going to take advantage of the opportunity to sell drugs, and practise human trafficking, especially with children who are going to be turned into prostitutes. It is also the responsibility of the police to deal with the bomb threats that are made with the intention of ruining the tournament. We hope that they are prepared.
The ANC-led government is a government that respects workers' rights and their right to protest. The workers' protests for salary increases at this time are going to disrupt our police's focus on protecting tourists during the tournament. We appeal to the leaders, workers and business owners to negotiate with the workers and reach an agreement that there should be no strike action during the tournament that will require the intervention of the police as a result of wage increase protests.
We hope that there will be co-operation between our police and those from outside so that there is adequate security. The ANC supports the budget. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, MECs, special delegates, and hon fellow delegates, for us as delegates from the rural provinces, normal life goes hand in hand with nature conservation and the preservation of our wonderful range of game species and their protection against ruthless criminals.
Two nights ago on the evening television programme 50/50, information shared indicated that, during the past year alone, ruthless criminals have brutally killed 75 rhinoceros to fuel their greed for illegal income from the international trade in contraband rhino horn. Particularly encouraging is the proactive efforts to curb this form of crime in our country, together with plans to nullify the profitability of the trade in rhino horn by all stakeholders.
I refer to this type of crime and the fight against it to highlight another highly distressing crime in the rural areas, namely farm attacks and the brutal murder of farm dwellers, both farmers and farmworkers. Information from the Minister's own office is that in the same period that 75 rhinoceros were killed, no less than 794 farm attacks occurred, during which a devastating 86 farm dwellers were murdered in South Africa.
One must ask what is really being done by the police to stop or, at least, reduce such murders, especially if compared with a very commendable and wide-ranging measure implemented to curb the slaughtering of rhinoceros and game poaching. Since 2006 - more than four years ago and even more Ministers ago - the DA has been urging the government to introduce a visible crime prevention unit to replace the commandos which were unilaterally disbanded and removed from the rural areas.
Many promises have since been made in regard to an increase in visible police presence and the deployment of reservists in rural areas. Of this, very little has come thus far. On the contrary, whilst cities and urban areas are flooded with police and SAPS vehicles, smaller towns and rural areas still suffer from a shortage of infrastructure and particularly crime- combating vehicles.
I often drive past the SAPS depot in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, where a multitude of brand-new SAPS vehicles have been parked for many weeks now, unmoved and gathering dust, to the point where it is no longer clear whether these were white vehicles or perhaps grey, brown or black. I am happy to today hear from the Minister that under his leadership new measures have been instituted, and we wish him well in this endeavour.
However, I must ask, Chairperson, how the Minister explains such a build-up of unused reserve vehicles in the face of a severe shortage of transport to facilitate the important work of the police in the rural areas, whilst he is embarking on increased security measures in the same areas. When will the police be properly empowered to do their work in the rural provinces, and when will we see a working solution to combat crime in our farming communities?
Whilst speaking of Mpumalanga, let me highlight another problem that is sorely hampering the effective work in that province, my province. I am referring to the moving of the SAPS provincial headquarters from Middelburg to Nelspruit. This move must, of course, be supported from the point of view of having the SAPS head office in the capital of the province, but then better forward planning would have been expected from the department. When you move a head office, you make sure that you don't have debt that you leave behind. You make sure that plans are made in the new quarters where the head offices will be housed, and you make sure that everything is in place.
My information is that the offices that were occupied in Middelburg have long leases, and they are now standing empty. In one instance, a new building was built with a 21-year lease secured by the SAPS, and it is now standing empty whilst some of the police officers in Nelspruit are working from the corridors of the offices. Estate agents tell me that they are inundated with calls from SAPS officials asking for accommodation somewhere in Nelspruit.
Let me end, Chair, by going back to the problem of rural security and refer you to a document - and I hope that the Minister has actually studied and read what I will refer to now before he embarked on his own measures. That is the strategy of the DA, as outlined by our leader, Premier Helen Zille, on 6 April 2010. In that delivery, she emphasised strategies that we proposed. You see, that is the normal reaction, but the ANC continually says that people should not criticise but come up with plans. When I put the plan on the table, a senior officer of the ANC laughs.
However, Minister, I hope that you are listening. The measures that we ask you to introduce, and please give me a minute, are measures to strengthen stressed sector policing in the rural areas, the establishment of a specialised border and rural safety division, the establishment of rural intelligence centres, the facilitation of sufficient resources for SAPS stations, rural safety initiatives and the creation of the posts of divisional commissioners to co-ordinate and lead these structures.
Time constraints have stopped me from going into the details of these, but it is available for anybody to study and, after all, Chairperson, as I said, we are not here to criticise only; we offer a solution. I hope you have read it, Minister. Thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, I would like to start with the SMART policing strategy. Police strategy and management have to answer serious challenges. Through SMART policing, the department can achieve improved crime control, better service delivery, and cost-effectiveness. SMART policing stands for policing that is strategically managed, analysed, researched, and technology-based.
To begin with, police must do two things: protect and have a relationship with the public. The public must also do the same thing. It is not only the police that must have a relationship with the public. In order to achieve this SMART policing, the following programme is proposed: a new style of community policing, hot spot policing, problem-oriented policing, and crime mapping. In the United States of America, they are already ahead of us.
We need to protect the local communities from crime and violence. This has to begin with housing infrastructure. The concept of cohousing must seriously be considered by the department. Our government must also create a fusion centre where intelligence, information and data are given in order to solve crimes.
Let us come to Home Affairs, and the issue of corruption. We need to have a project. We should have the police there, in terms of five or six officers, so that when officials see them, they won't commit this type of corruption. On the issue of education, it should be seen as a lifelong learning activity for police officers. It must strengthen the police time and again.
Posts are not filled, as you have said, Minister. If you cannot get a suitable person, just hire a person on contract, as this will keep the work of the police going.
Minister, I would like to congratulate you on the preparations for the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup. Really, when you see the national commissioner ... I call him General Squeeze. We want him to squeeze all the crime from the cocoons and caves, so that these criminals must come out and be arrested. [Applause.]
This past Sunday, I saw the television programme Duty Calls. That programme, Minister, is fantastic. It must go right around the country, as they are doing, and the presenter ...
... is tweetalig. Sy kan Afrikaans uitstekend praat. Hou aan, Minister. Ons s baie dankie daarvoor. [Applous.] [... is bilingual. She speaks excellent Afrikaans. Keep it up, Minister. We thank you for it. [Applause]]
Order! Who is out of order? There is no person speaking.
Chairperson, it's a point of order. I want the Minister to tell me what he gave this general. Maybe there is something. [Laughter.]
No, that's not a point of order. Take your seat, hon member. [Laughter.]
Chairperson of the NCOP, I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate. I'm delivering a speech on behalf of MEC Lennit Max who is unfortunately with the Premier this afternoon. He has asked me to come and speak to you instead.
Hon Minister, Deputy Minister of Police, hon MECs, hon members of the NCOP, and members of the SA Police Service, SAPS - I don't see too many of them here - I want from the outset to congratulate the Minister on the standard of the readiness parade held recently in Cape Town. As with any red-blooded South African, we were all very proud to see both the person power and resources that were on display. We wish you and all members in uniform the best for the very onerous task they are going to have next month in keeping both the citizens and the visitors to South Africa safe during the World Cup. You have our greatest support in that regard.
Recently, the Minister focused on employing the right kind of police officer, a different kind of police officer in the SA Police Service, SAPS. The hon Minister said, and I quote:
In order to fight crime and fight it effectively, we need to recruit the right calibre of police officer. Whilst fitness and the ability to operate firearms are some of the essentials, it is discipline, upholding the Constitution, defending the weak, enforcing the law and being generally upright that should constitute the defining core values of the police.
I concur wholeheartedly in this regard, and would like to applaud the Minister for taking this particularly strong view. It is indeed true that we need men and women in the Police Service who are proud to wear the blue uniform and are willing to serve the people of South Africa irrespective of their rank and stature.
However, the appointment, reappointment and promotion of police officers are largely closed processes which only the national head of police is privileged to perform. I wish to propose that the provincial members of the executive committee and other important stakeholders in the safety, security and justice cluster be granted some, even if limited, say in this process. This will ensure that fit-for-purpose appointments and promotions across the board will be embraced in the SAPS to further ensure the efficient and effective functioning thereof, especially in the provinces where they have to serve.
The hon Minister has also indicated that discipline will be reignited in the force. This is of critical importance, as ill-discipline is rife within the SAPS, especially among junior officers. It is exactly here where a major challenge lies for management as the majority of South African citizens will only ever come into contact with a junior office at a community service centre or while they are patrolling our streets. It is exactly these first contacts within the Police Service that must have the most discipline to render a helpful and friendly service to citizens even though they sometimes do not deserve it. First impressions count.
Discipline at the lowest levels of the Police Service must be reignited and restored, and rightly so, to its former state in order to deliver the kind of service that our people are mandated to uphold in the Constitution of our country. It is at the training academies that the greatest effort in quality and professionalism must be made, as those academies are where the foundation for our officers' future careers is laid.
The SAPS needs more resources, especially infrastructure. Nearly 16 years into our new democratic dispensation, people still walk long distances to their nearest police stations. In a particular case, a woman was recently raped on her way to the police station to report a rape which had just happened to her. This situation is truly unacceptable. We need more satellite stations and more contact points in South Africa, especially in the Western Cape.
I'm particularly shocked to hear that the SAPS spent over R2 billion in the last two years to build just three police stations and to upgrade only six. In Ocean View, which is one of my areas of responsibility, they have had, for the last 18 years, a temporary police station where the 13 store is so overcrowded that it is impossible to catalogue the evidence, and the door cannot open more than half a metre.
Speaking of buildings, it is simply a disgrace that residences for SAPS personnel such as Parkhof in Kenilworth have been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that the Cape Town City Council may well condemn the building totally. One realises that maintenance is a Department of Public Works function, but as an employer, the SAPS should not be standing idly by while its personnel are effectively living in squatter conditions which they also have to pay for on a monthly basis. The state cannot afford to become a slumlord.
Also of concern is the formula used to inform the manpower plan at police stations. Does it keep pace with the population increase? I use as an example the Hout Bay Police Station where the 2001 Census was used as a benchmark for the policing plan. The population has almost tripled since then, and yet the station is still at the level at which it was when it was refurbished just after 2001.
Another issue of great concern is the current status of the forensic science laboratory services in South Africa. A report by the Auditor- General completed in November blamed a lack of staff, low staff morale, "a total disregard" for occupational safety laws, and a lack of backup power resulting in spoilt samples for backlogs of several years that set back the fight against crime. The report found that in August 2009, the backlog in routine toxicology cases stretched back six years, in Johannesburg five years in Cape Town and four years in Pretoria.
Much like the controversy surrounding accurate figures and crime statistics, we have no clear picture of the true figure of outstanding cases mounting in a massive backlog for forensic science laboratories. The official figures are somewhere in the region of 12 000. However, some reports suggest that in the Western Cape alone, this backlog may be 18 000 cases. Whichever of these figures are true, whether the former or the latter, it is far too much and truly a crisis.
The hon Minister announced that the forensic science laboratories had decreased their backlog in 2008-09 by 14% and are planning to decrease the backlog by a further 20% this financial year. This is good, but too little. We must understand that these backlogs have a severely negative impact on the whole criminal justice cluster, as well as the broader public morale. These laboratories play a pivotal role in the linking of perpetrators to crime scenes. When forensic labs face protracted delays, this actively hampers police investigations, delays court cases and, in turn, disrupts the effective operation of the criminal justice system.
Victims of violent sexual crimes in particular are entitled to feel that the state will do all in its power to catch the perpetrator and also to reassure them that this particular category is taken seriously through efficient and quick processing of evidence. A question should be asked: Why must victims live in fear for years because the state is dragging its feet and lets the dangerous accused out on bail?
This matter has an especially detrimental effect here in the Western Cape where drugs and gangs go hand in hand. This is more prevalent in this province than anywhere else in the country. The successful prosecution of drug-related cases is solely dependent on evidence proven by forensic science laboratories. Without the effective and efficient functioning of this critical service, the massive challenge posed by drugs in the Western Cape will never be successfully combated. Cases get postponed and eventually thrown out because of a lack of evidence. Therein lies the truism that justice delayed is justice denied.
In conclusion, the South African criminal justice system is in fact in a crisis. The police play a role in that regard. It is characterised by blockages, many of which cause delays in other parts of the criminal justice pipeline. The system, stretching across the department of safety and security and the Departments of Justice and Constitutional Development and of Correctional Services, has never been a unified one. I would suggest in your tenure that one of your single most successful benchmarks should be to try and unify those three departments. The links between the various departments are weak, and the involvement by any other department, such as welfare, national education and health, that has to play a key role in the prevention of crime is minimised as a result of this logjam.
The SAPS, as well as the South African justice system, need to have a serious rethink in this regard. The game needs to be stepped up, and service delivery must be improved if we want to give effect to the vision of the President of this country, to make South Africa a better, happier and safer place to live in. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, chairperson of the select committee, Mr Mofokeng, hon members, SA Police Service management and staff in the Ministry of Police, in the past few weeks the SA Police Service has been engaged in simulation activities throughout the country. These activities were meant to showcase to the South African public and the world at large the preparedness of the Police Service to serve and service the country with regard to curbing any eventualities that might arise during the Fifa 2010 World Cup. Plans were submitted by all provinces to the national office outlining, with all due attention to detail, how South Africa will guarantee a safer World Cup.
We want to assure the country and the world that we are ready for the World Cup. Soccer fans should just bring out the swag in their supporters' colours, get their vuvuzelas and rehearse their "diski dance" for this august spectacle event.
We are an activist government, dedicated to action and not rhetoric. As the hon President already alluded to, 2010 is the year of working together to speed up effective service delivery to the people. As the SA Police Service, we are saying that together we can do more in the fight against crime. The time to kiss, hug and massage crime lapsed last year; a new cadre police officer took over.
Our message to these criminals who have turned themselves into illustrious warriors of our time is that, just like the mighty Napoleon finally met his defeat, you too are about to meet your Waterloo. We have arrived in full steam to clean criminals off our streets and malls, and to instil fear in their hearts and minds. This is dedicated by the nature of the crime we witnessed in the previous years, specifically in 2006. It was so lethally dangerous and aggravating that it resulted in a call by some members of society for military intervention. We then said that we need to sharpen our instruments.
"Washa Tsotsi" is a clarion call to action; an action to dig out a tsotsi from his hiding hole and channel him to prison where he rightfully belongs. It is a clarion call to tsotsis [criminals] to wet their pants before they attempt anything. Throughout last year we spoke and made commitments to the nation that we will sharpen and strengthen any legislative loopholes to rid ourselves of traitors against goodwill in society.
We did say, hon members, that the Independent Complaints Directorate, IDC, should bite; the secretariat should assume shape and the Criminal Procedure Act should be attended to; and a single police force should be ushered in to operate under one command. We expressed our unrelenting commitment to realise a safe country where children are able to play and live a clean life without fear of rape or molestation; a country where women are free to walk at any time of the day or night without fear or abuse. For these reasons, the police should be empowered to fight for the weaker within our society. That's why we say "asijiki" - forward we go, backward never.
If we are to win this battle, we will need policemen and women who can flank crime and crush it like eggs. The kind of policemen and women we had needed some serious attention to ensure that we were equal to the task. We needed personnel with integrity, a cadre police officer who'll deliver us from tsotsis. From the 2006 crime backdrop, we invaded the crime space with the ferocity of a cornered bull and the agility of a cat. In this offensive, we were mindful of existing laws governing our country that needed our careful observation while executing our task.
Crime is not a friend of man or woman, but is an enemy of life. South Africa currently has fared well in terms of crime reduction, as showcased by the successful operations during the peak period of the 2009 festive season in particular.
Minister and hon members, credit should be given where it is due. I am humbled to stand here today to congratulate the efforts employed during the 2009 festive season launch of Operation Duty Calls. The police embarked on various visible policing operations countrywide and interacted with communities, business and various organised structures with the objective of intensifying our fight against crime. During this period, we witnessed and experienced a significant decline in various crimes including cash-in- transit heists, armed robberies, housebreakings, robberies and business robberies - particularly business robberies. When we started with our operations, our message to these gun-toting criminals was clear.
The former President, Nelson Mandela, on the occasion of his inauguration said:
A person who does what any other person does, is an ordinary person. A person who does what no other person can do, is an exception, but a person who has done what no other person has ever done, is an institution, a national asset . . . and a hero. This is a person about whom, when he or she dies, we will be able to say that here lies a man or woman who has played his or her role in society.
This quote is fitting today, because we want national heroes and heroines. We want national assets and institutions in our country in the fight against crime. We need a cadre in the fight against crime. We are therefore saying to all members of society that they should stand up and be counted in the fight against crime.
Vital tools that support the implementation of the crime prevention strategies include sector policing, reservists and community police forums. These tools assist in the monitoring and assessment of the police officer. We are in the process of also assisting with the issue of redefining and remodelling the role of community police forums, where they will no longer be tea-ladies and "stuur-boys" [messangers] at the police stations. This will result, among other things, in a national consensus on the structural and operational outlook of these community police forums, including their relations with the provincial government and other stakeholders in the fight against crime. It will do away with inconsistencies and departures from the norm, as is currently the case in the Western Cape.
A national task team was established during the reservists' summit, to consider employment-related matters and facilitate the recruitment of qualifying reservists as permanent employees of the SA Police Service. Recruitment drives were conducted in all nine provinces and a total of 2 733 reservists were recruited as SA Police Service members and 532 were recruited as the Public Service Act requires.
There are however, some unbecoming expectations harboured by some who failed to meet the minimum requirements. They are now trying to turn this process into a "pass one, pass all" scenario. Our voice in this regard has consistently been loud and clear, that every reservist will be recruited into the SA Police Service based on merit and full compliance with the stipulated criteria.
The tactical response teams are existing in the cluster police stations and in international airports. Currently, there are 711 members trained and deployed in various clusters and airports. They have shown a clear visibility in high crime spots too, especially at shopping malls where these criminals have been mercilessly opening fire and killing innocent people.
This necessitated urgent attention, informed by the fact that 70% of aggravated robberies are committed with firearms or firearms become the weapon of choice. We then adopted a comprehensive strategy to address the circulation and easy availability of these firearms and ammunition. We are also thankful for the support given to the police by Parliament last year in declaring 11 January 2010 to 11 April 2010 to be a firearms amnesty period, through the constitutional powers vested in and accorded to the Minister of Police.
South Africa has a significant pool of illegal firearms in circulation, which contributes to a high rate of serious and violent crime. The sources of these illegal firearms range from being stolen from members of the public to being illegally smuggled into the country through our borders. A lot was achieved during this process with members of the community voluntarily surrendering for destruction licensed firearms through the process prescribed in the Firearms Control Act Regulations, and, also assisted in allowing those who missed the cutoff date for relicensing to license their weapons in terms of the Firearms Control Act.
We are encouraged and happy that 46 262 weapons were received through our police stations as a result of the amnesty period, and that 12 179 of these were illegal and 27 119 were legal firearms voluntarily surrendered. And during this period again 6 964 weapons were confiscated by the police.
Hon members, it should also be noted that some in this society we live in had negative sentiments about this amnesty process. They even went on to encourage people not to heed the call.
Unfortunately for them, South Africans are responsible and cannot be dragged back by those with the evil intention of encouraging a society where a person wields a gun unnecessarily. And our people have responded positively to this particular campaign, by enriching it through their participation, throughout the stipulated period. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Sihlalo, mhlonishwa Ngqongqoshe nePhini lakho, ozakwethu amalungu aleNdlu, abasebenzi boMnyango wezokuphepha kuleli lizwe abakhona, ngiyanibingelela.
Sihlalo, umhlonishwa uNgqongqoshe nozakwabo kufuneka bazi ukuthi umbutho wamaphoyisa yiwona ovikela ubugebengu ezweni kanye nodlame olusuke lubhekiswe kwizakhamuzi zakulelo lizwe. Ngiyabancoma ukuthi babhekene nomsebenzi omkhulu wokuphepha kwabo bonke abantu ezweni, ukuvikelwa kwezimpahla zomphakathi, kanye nokuqashwa kwayo yonke imingcele yezwe lethu.
Siyi-IFP siyababongela odadewethu ababuthwe njengamaphoyisa alelizwe, nabafowethu abakhona embuthweni ngokwenza umsebenzi wokuphepha kulelizwe uphumelele. Kunezinto ezithile engithanda ukuzibeka mhlonishwa ukuthi amaphoyisa awekho phezu komthetho, nawo aphethwe uMthethosisekelo wezwe.
Into eyenzeke laphaya ekhaya KwaNongoma, lapho kwahlaselwa khona abantu nabafazi babantu bahanjiswa nqunu emagcekeni. Lokho kwenzeke nakumina uqobo, emzini kababomkhulu - iNkosi yasoSuthu uMangobe - ingonyama yezwe lamaZulu. Lapho bangikhipha khona, ngahamba nqunu. Lokho kuyinto engamukelekile ezweni ukuthi amaphoyisa aziphathe ngalolo hlobo. Ngathi uma ngiya kumphathi siteshi wathi akawaphethe, nawo uma ngikhuluma nawo athi awaphethwe nguyena, aphethwe ePitoli.
Ngithi-ke kufanele nikubheke ukuthi uma singumbutho owodwa wamaphoyisa onoNgqongqoshe oyedwa noSekela Ngqongqoshe oyedwa, kodwa sibe nezinkinga zokuthi laba bantu bangalawuleki. Umnyango wakho kufanele ukubheke ukuthi ngabe labo bantu bangabantu abafanele yini ukugada ukuphepha ezweni ngoba ngibona benezinhloso zabo.
Ngithi ukuziphatha yinto okufanele ibekhona emaphoyiseni, kanti nathi singumphakathi kufanele sisebenzisane ngokubambisana nawo amaphoyisa ekulweni nodlame. Okunye engiye ngikubuke ukuthi njengoba kuthiwa akudutshulwe bese kubuzwa imibuzo kamumva, yinto ezingayenza izigebengu ezifana nalezo ezingenamabheji, nezimoto ezihamba ngazo ezingenalutho, zigqekeze amagede abantu, zingene endlini.
Ngiyazi ukuthi ngeke ngisikhiphe isibhamu bengenzanga izinhlelo ezithile zokuthi ngisikhiphe. Kodwa akufanele siphindwe ngehlazo lokuhamba nqunu ngoba singeke sikwazi ukuzivikela. Lokho kuhlokoloza umphakathi, ngoba ngiyafisa ukuthi umphakathi ubambisane namaphoyisa.
Ngifisa ukuncoma ukuthi laphaya ngakithi kunezigebengu ezibamba inkunzi ematekisini - niphezu kwazo impela. Lokho enikwenzayo kungumsebenzi omkhulu ngoba lezi zigebengu kufanele ziqoqwe ziye endaweni yazo, ngoba akuzifanele ukuhlala nabantu. Ngoba, uma singavikela abantu abafana nalabo ngabe senza into embi kabi. Lokhu angikusho ngoba ngiseqenjini elithize, kodwa ngikusho ngoba noMntwana uZeblon Zulu kuleya Ndlu enye, angakutshela ukuthi yizinto ezenzekayo KwaNongoma lezi.
Siyi-IFP siyaseseka ngokuphelele lesi sabelomalo. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Prince M M M ZULU: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, our colleagues who are members of this House and members of the Department of Police who are present here, I greet you all.
Hon Chairperson, the hon Minister and his colleagues are supposed to know that the police force prevents crime as well as violence directed at the citizens of a country. I salute them because they are faced with the major task of ensuring the safety of all the people of the country and protecting public property, as well as monitoring all the borders of our country. As the IFP we congratulate our fellow sisters who are police officers, and the men who are also in the force, for making the duty of policing a success in this country. There are certain issues that I would like to highlight, sir, such as that police officers are not above the law; they are also governed by the Constitution of the country.
What happened there at my hometown in KwaNongoma, where people were attacked and other people's wives were made to parade outside naked, happened to me too. In the homestead of Mangobe the King of Usuthu, the King of the Zulu nation, I was taken out of the house, and made to parade naked. It is unacceptable in this country for police officers to behave in this manner. I went to lay a complaint with the station commander, but he said that he is not in charge of them, and when I talked to them they said they are not under his command, but that they report to Pretoria.
Hence what I am saying is that we are the same police force with the same Minister and the same Deputy Minister, but we have a problem with these people who are uncontrollable. Your department needs to check whether those people are suitable to ensure safety in the country because I presume they have their own agendas.
Good behaviour should prevail in the police force and as the community we should work collectively with the police force in fighting violence. I have also observed that as a result of the instruction to police officers to shoot first and ask questions later, the criminals without badges do the same. They have unmarked cars, which they use when breaking into and entering people's houses.
I know that I will not give them my gun before they apply certain tactics. But we should not experience the humiliation of parading naked again because we cannot protect ourselves. That provokes the community, and my wish is for the community to work hand in hand with the police.
I wish to commend you for tracking those criminals in my hometown who are robbing people in the taxis. You are doing a great job because these criminals must be arrested and placed where they belong, because they are not meant to be part of society. If we protect these criminals we would be doing an injustice to society. I do not say this as a member of a certain party, but I say this because even Prince Zeblon Zulu can attest to the fact that these robberies do take place at KwaNongoma.
As the IFP we fully support this Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, departmental officials, patriots and friends, the national struggle for freedom was the critical overarching vehicle to bring about peace, security and stability in our society. In dealing with issues of crime, the ANC proceeds from the premise that raising the quality of life also means an improvement in the safety and security of citizens in their homes and in their environments where they live, work and engage in extramural activities.
The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster has been tasked with the outcome of ensuring that people are safe and feel safe, with the Department of Police playing a leading role in this regard. The ANC welcomes the family violence, child protection and sexual offences Unit, which the Minister has announced. These interventions by the department seek to address three principles which are critical in the challenge of crime, especially its uniquely random and violent nature in our country.
The first of these principles is that the battle against crime cannot, in the main, be separated from the war on want. Incidents of contact crime such as murder, grievous bodily harm and rape occur among acquaintances in poor communities where living and entertainment environments do not allow for a decent family and social life.
The second principle is that specific mindsets and historical conditions drive elements of the crime problem. These are: the proliferation of firearms in the hands of civilians; greed and conspicuous consumption; the psychology of patriarchal gender power relations; and attitudes towards the weaker members of society, especially children. With regard to this point, I want to emphasise that these crimes against the weak are rife in the rural areas and farm areas where ...
... abantu bakuthi besabethwa ngamabhulu anocalucalulo ngobuhlanga nazimisele ukuba wona akuhlala engoobholel' ecaleni abangalufuniyo utshintsho. [... our people are still being assaulted by the racist boers who are hellbent on being unco-operative and who resist transformation.]
In this regard, when we are talking about fighting crime, Minister and Deputy Minister, we must also emphasise ...
... ukuba babanjwe aba belungu benza le nto. Into eyenzekayo kukuba bahlawuliswa iimalana ezingama-R200 okanye ama-R2000 babe ngabakhululekileyo kodwa bahlalise abantu bakuthi kabuhlungu. [... that these white people who are doing this must be arrested. What happens is that they are just fined a mere R200 or R 2000 and are free but continue persecuting our people.]
The ANC notes with interest the consistency of the department in improving its capacity by employing more personnel as this will boost the visible policing programme in so far as the patrols and community policing are concerned.
In addition to visible policing aimed at crime prevention, provision has been made in the budget to increase the detective capacity and improve crime intelligence capacity. This will ensure the safety of the weak and the rural communities. The above confirms the implementation of the President's promise in the state of the nation address that more police will be employed in 2010.
The third principle is that the networks of crime have grown in their reach and sophistication across national boundaries. These include syndicates that deal with money-laundering, human trafficking and abuse. Critically, focus must be placed in mobilising society to make life difficult for criminals in our midst. This should include an overhaul of gender and family relations and intolerance of abuse within communities.
The transformation of institutions that deal with crime, including with regard to integrated efficiency, is also critical. This applies to management, the expansion of personnel, the utilisation of the latest technology, enhanced intelligence capacity, and a commitment to work with the people. In this regard, it is very important for the police and the community to ensure that community safety forums are in existence because the police will never fight crime alone. The community members must be there to assist the police by telling them where the criminals are, as well as in the eradication of corruption within the criminal justice system.
The overall programme of national democratic transformation will gradually eliminate some of the conditions that breed social crime; so shall our contribution to creating an environment of peace, stability, economic growth and social development in Southern Africa and the rest of the continent.
In conclusion, we will undertake these tasks conscious of our responsibility as one of the battalions of the global army for progressive social change - a disciplined force of the left. The ANC is confident that South Africans will persist in building enduring national partnerships to further change our country for the better. Working together with them, we shall spare neither strength nor courage until the strategic objective has been attained. The ANC supports this transformative budget. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members, and all protocol observed, we welcome the vision and mission of our Department of Police; the values that the SAPS stands for need to be implemented and upheld.
Discipline and professionalism need to be instilled in our police. There is a programme in the Northern Cape called "Youth against Crime". If that programme can be implemented throughout this country, I think the police can win the war against crime. Hon Minister and Deputy Minister, I see that you are reminding us of where we come from by revisiting the ranking system. However, changing ranking names will not bring back discipline. Discipline will take a change in thinking and a change in attitude in the SAPS. That is what will make their work easier.
The ID believes in partnership with the community, because the challenges are enormous. The behaviour of some of the SAPS members is uncalled for. The way in which they drive their vehicles is unacceptable. The way they treat people in some of the police stations is also unacceptable. It is good to have important plans. It is good to say we are going to do this, that and that. And we see that the Minister and the Deputy Minister are trying their utmost best. But it needs to be said today that winning the war on crime will help us develop the economy. And the battle against crime will help our people to understand that the values that we grew up with should never be corrupted, but there is so much corruption in the Department of Police.
If we can win that battle half of the crime will be finished. The budget that is used for community police forums is inadequate. If we want the community to really participate and the police forums to really participate in the fight against crime and everything else, we need to budget properly for them in order to assist them to do away with crime. I thank you.
Chairperson, Minister of Police, Mr Nathi Mthethwa, Deputy Minister of Police, Mr Fikile Mbalula, hon members of the House, Chairperson of the Select Committee on Security and Constitutional Development, Ntate Mofokeng, colleagues from other provinces, we are tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that crime is drastically reduced and corruption is stamped out in our provinces.
Our successes in the fight against crime in the province are as follows: We have managed through our processes to conduct a number of campaign activities. We managed to search a number of businesses, motor vehicles and business properties totalling 38 426. We managed to conduct more than 470 roadblocks and have succeeded in visiting a number of farms, businesses, elderly people, vacant houses and schools.
We successfully patrolled in our vehicles and on foot more than 25 171 times and we successfully managed to arrest a number of people for various crimes during Operation Washa Tsotsi. We also have successfully confiscated dagga and other substances. We confiscated more than 91 800 litres of liquor and a number of home-brewed substances. We also arrested a number of wanted criminals through Operation Washa Tsotsi. During the firearms amnesty period, we succeeded in handing over a number of weapons and sharp instruments.
In terms of the crime prevention situation in the province, our programmes prioritise sustainable community mobilisation and partnerships in the fight against crime, and in support of the police's efforts to reduce crime in the Northern Cape.
We have a campaign that we call the rescue of public spaces. Most violent crimes happen in isolated and bushy areas near taverns. It is with this in mind that we have engaged municipalities in the province to come on board and assist with cleaning operations in open spaces. One of the flagship projects of the department of safety in the province is the rescue of public spaces project, which recently won a Silver Award in the Premier's Service Excellence Awards.
Chairperson, our province was honoured with the responsibility of hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup for the 50-day countdown. We are proud to report that this prestigious event was incident-free. This was due to the safety and security measures put in place by the SA Police in the province.
During the period under review the province successfully established 54 victim-friendly facilities out of a total of 91 police stations. It is our responsibility to ensure that before the end of this financial year all 91 police stations in the province will have victim-friendly facilities.
In terms of the safer schools campaign, this is to ensure that our schools remain institutions of learning and excellence. During this campaign we managed to confiscate drugs, alcohol and dangerous weapons at schools across the province. This campaign has been successful as fewer schools have now reported having these unwanted substances.
In terms of community partnerships, the Northern Cape province is engaging in successful community partnerships. We have a sound working relationship with communities in our province. Our people are very co-operative and support campaigns and initiatives of the government to fight crime and corruption. We have strong partnerships with the SA Police Service, the community police forum, Youth Against Crime, Women Against Crime, and all other relevant structures meant to fight crime in the province.
Regarding gangsterism, hijackings and ATM bombings, as a province we have successfully managed to foil a number of attempts relating to hijacking and ATM bombings in the city of Kimberley. These criminal activities are very rare in our province. It is for that reason that when criminals are squeezed elsewhere they then move base to the Northern Cape under the wrong impression that that province is a soft target. Our law enforcement officers have proven the criminals wrong through their tough anticrime programmes, hence the high success rate in the province and the minimal hijackings and ATM bombings.
We acknowledge as a department the insufficient resources that we have in the province, such as vehicles and human resources. But we are really working hard in ensuring that we close all gaps that may hinder our achievement in our objectives of reducing crime and corruption in the province.
The matter of closed-circuit television, in the two townships of the city has come a long way; SAPS head office made commitments to provide the aforementioned equipment in both Galeshewe and Roodepan. This will assist us in the fight against crime and corruption and it will contribute positively towards effecting more arrests. These cameras will assist us in ensuring that we succeed in our objectives.
In most of the crimes in the province, especially crimes that take place over weekends, such as rape, murder, robbery and domestic violence, the preferred weapon of choice is the dangerous weapon known as Okapi. Most criminals use it in the perpetration of violent crimes in the province.
The department, in collaboration with the SAPS, the department of justice and the chief state law adviser in the office of the premier have already commenced a process aimed at the development of provincial legislation to regulate or outlaw the carrying of dangerous knives and other related weapons. We hope to introduce the draft Bill to the legislature of the province during the fourth quarter of this financial year.
Gravel roads remain a challenge in the province as police vehicles are adversely affected in terms of wear and tear. This area must be looked into in relation to the massive infrastructural development needs of the province and its rural nature.
Our province is vast and sparsely populated, and most people have to travel for more than 100 km to access a police station. Hence we have ensured that these areas are provided with satellite police stations in the context of putting people first.
This concept of central command structures will contribute immensely towards our fight against crime and corruption. We strongly recommend that it be rolled out in the province before the end of this year.
The building and renovation of police stations in the province is a serious challenge since most buildings utilised by the police are in a bad state. The Mothibistad police station in Kuruman, which services more than 20 villages, is totally dilapidated and a new police station is required in this regard. The second biggest township in the province, Paballelo in Upington, also require a new police station to service the community. The current buildings from which the police are operating belong to the Khara Hais local municipality.
The municipality has given notice that it wants to take its office back. This poses a serious challenge to our law enforcement agents in the area. Paballelo, as the second biggest township in the province, also requires the services of a new police station. Our priority list for ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Hon Chair, our Minister, Nathi Mthethwa, our Deputy Minister, Fikile Mbalula, and hon House, let me remind you that the Budget Vote of the department is the Budget Vote of the ANC. Therefore, when the Minister talks of objectives as set out in the state of the nation address and targets for the measurement of performance as adopted by the Cabinet lekgotla, it is indeed a confirmation of the movement at work to reduce crime in this country.
The other issue that we picked up in the budget debate, as presented, is that indeed the country is moving towards safety after so many years of a violent society. We are moving towards safety, and the people are beginning to have much more confidence than in previous years. We want to congratulate the Minister in this regard.
Incidnets of crimes like house robberies, business robberies and car hijacking, as well as crimes against women and children, are beginning to decrease in terms of statistics. These are issues that are highly prioritised in the departmental programme. It is thought that this is because of the manner in which the department has improved the investigative capacity of police officers in this department and further that the detectives are also beginning to have that positive attitude that the department has instilled in them.
We would also want to welcome the reintroduction of the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit by the Minister. This will go far beyond making South Africa, as the Deputy Minister said, "a country where everyone can play, especially our children, without fear of anything; without fear of being abducted." And that indeed should be supported.
We also acknowledge the programme of visible policing. However, as a committee we recommend that it should go beyond visible policing. We should not just see cars moving from street to street, from township to township or village to village; we should see beyond that that the police would stop and check as to what is happening when a group of people play dice and jive unnecessarily. They should be searched. It should go beyond that, and also detect planned crimes before they occur, so that criminals should indeed hesitate when they want to commit crimes against our people. We would want to see that happening. Indeed, everyone should see police vans patrolling everywhere, but it should go beyond that and there should be fundamental actions where people are planning, even to sniff out where crooks are hiding and planning crimes so that prevention can take place.
The other issue is that the ANC would want to call upon everyone not to forget that all that we are doing, as this democratic Parliament, is to erase and to fight what has been institutionalised by the apartheid legacy - the issue of where we come from, namely a police system that was so violent and brutal. Even now, after 16 years of democracy, people are still afraid of the police in the context of the past, but we would want to ensure that the police are friendly to the people because other liberal minds would always, in the media and everywhere, say that the police are beginning to be dangerous and militarised. There is no such thing.
When the police respond to a deadly crime, that does not amount to militarisation; it means that the police have got the capacity to respond to any form of crime in this country. Therefore, that idea must be taken out of some liberal minds.
The other issue is the fact that the department is responding to its constitutional obligations of prevention, combating, investigation and making sure that the Republic is protected at all costs. We also want to appeal to the Minister with regard to an issue that is capturing our headlines, namely the terror plot, precisely because next month we are going to host the World Cup. But, there are counter-revolutionaries who would want to frighten the world by saying there is an Al Qaeda presence here; there is no such a thing. Our intelligence is intact and our police are ready. The world must come.
South Africa is a heaven and it will also be a heaven during the 2010 World Cup. There is no such a thing as a threat of Al Qaeda, or the Taliban or whatever. Those are pure lies because it is a counter-revolution to ensure that African-led governments might not have the capacity to protect people. People are welcome. Some of us will be smiling in every airport to ensure that indeed people feel safe in this country.
Our borders will be managed by the SA National Defence Force, SANDF, as well as the support system to the extent of our intelligence. But we would want the department, as they meet the SA National Defence Force, to strengthen our porous borders. Indeed, our borders are not that safe because ever since we came in, there are certain areas where people will get in, and that might be a threat. I think it should be emphasised that as the army will be monitoring the borders and areas where there is porosity, this must be looked into and a mechanism must be developed to make sure that they are strengthened.
The strategy and tactics of the ANC identify strictly that the department needs to be looked into, as the hon Matthews has said, with regard to the war and the principle of that and other things. These are some of the issues that need to be looked at in order to address the attitude of our people who are looking at the crime issue.
With regard to the mind-set that I, of course, alluded to, some of these things are historical. There is still that mind-set of the past wherein people feel that when they see a police officer, they see an enemy. A police officer is a friend; not a friend that will allow people to do crime, but rather a friend that will take you, if you are a criminal, to a place of safety, and you will be safe in prison. That's what we need to emphasise.
The other thing is the historical conditions. Amen. [Time expired.]
Chairperson and hon members, thank you for your contributions. Perhaps I should say that there has been both constructive criticism and some acknowledgement of good work done by the police. I found today's debate different from the ones we had before. When people criticise us, they present some views on the table, and not just oppositionist kinds of postures.
The hon Gunda presented some key issues about the discipline and professionalism in the police. There wouldn't be any proper policing if this matter was not taken on board. The part of the transformation that we are talking about is that of the cadre of cop which we would like to create at this time.
Hon members should take note of the fact that, ultimately, we would like our streets to be safe. The Deputy Minister has already indicated that whether it is in the morning, at night or whenever, our people should all feel safe in their own country. That is our ultimate objective.
The hon Chairperson raised an issue about wrong elements within the SAPS. We have interacted with the ruling party and other political parties in this Parliament. We have undertaken an audit on the police personnel we have. At the end of the day, we should ensure that those who are not supposed to be in the force are nicely asked to go home or elsewhere. We should only be left with members who know what they are supposed to do, and who understand that the hopes of the entire nation rest upon their shoulders.
The hon Watson said something about a building that is lying empty in Middelburg. We are going to make a follow-up on that and try to find out what is happening. I must say that it cuts across the issue of rural safety. There is a plan. In his speech, the hon Wiley indicated that the DA leader has some points. Those points are welcome and we would like to see them in strength.
We are challenging everybody in the community to submit their views in order to strengthen the rural safety plan. If there are such views, we would welcome them. That is why we are going to be visiting provinces very soon, together with AgriSA and the Food and Allied Workers Union, Fawu, organisations from both sides, namely the farmworkers and farmers. We would be able to put across the views of both constituencies as they are. With that approach, we believe that we would be able to deal with the challenges.
The hon Wiley also raised an issue about accommodation. One of the things we have spoken about is that of the building and construction of the new police stations. We should have some barracks. It should not only be based on accommodating people who are there.
Hon Bloem, if police management decided to move some police from your constituency to KwaZulu-Natal and vice versa, they should be able to do that without any hindrance. We are also looking into those matters as well.
In as far as the issue of the criminal justice system, CJS, is concerned, there are outcomes of the criminal justice review and we are implementing them. For instance, today it was reported that, in as far as police are concerned, during the review the matter of detectives was highlighted. Last year, we set a target for ourselves that within a year we were going to employ 19% of the detectives and upskill those who were there. We have surpassed that because we have recruited 24% as compared to what we initially planned for.
I agree with Commissioner Makhubela, on the issue of SMART planning, hotspots and mapping. [Laughter.] In fact, it should be strengthened because as you know, even from the police station point of view, the hotspot areas, mapping and so on, are looked into. The programme, When Duty Calls, is one way of communicating with the public, because all people are hearing are negative things about the police. We have noted your satisfaction about the preparations and we are also looking forward to the actual games.
The hon Mokgobi raised an issue about the reintroduction of family units. We are going ahead with that and we will ensure that indeed our children and women are safe in our country.
Some of the terror threats are hoaxes, and are meant to scare people away. Somewhere in some tabloids in Britain, others said that there was going to be a blood bath in South Africa because Mr Terreblanche had been killed. They furthermore said that there was going to be a black and white full- scale war. They just created some imaginary wars in their minds which did not match what has been put in place when preparing for this. That is not going to deter us.
I noted the point raised by the hon Nesi when he indicated that racism was rife on the farms. For instance, when we met with Fawu, they clarified that point. In order to deal with the issues raised by workers, dwellers and farmers we have decided to approach that matter from all the parties' point of view.
Bab'uMageba angazi nkosi yami kuleliphuzu obulibeka laKwaNongoma ngoba siyesazizwa lezo zikhalo, kwathi phambi kokhetho sawucela umphakathi ukuthi ufike sizoxoxisana nawo. Sabiza izinhlangano zepolitiki, i-IFP noKhongolose kanye nezinye ezazikhona ukuzokhuluma ngalolu daba.
Kodwa-ke futhi asizukuvuma ukuthi abantu bahlukunyezwe - izinto ezinjalo azifuneki. Siyafisa Mageba nani niyigcizelele into yokuthi amaphoyisa ayesebenza laphaya ngaphambi kokhetho abuye ngoba enza umsebenzi omuhle. Ngoba yiwona athola intaphana yezibhamu ezatholwa laphaya Mageba zangethusa, ngacishe ngaquleka ngempela ngizibona zibekwe ngononina ngokuhlukana kwazo. Kusukela kwesincane ukuza kwezinkulu - ngathi hhawu! lezi bhamu madoda ziphumaphi. Zifunani izibhamu phakathi kwabantu ngoba phela yizona ekufanele zingabibikho emphakathini.
Sengisholo ukuthi-ke nalapho enza khona amaphoyisa kahle kufanele siwancome bakwethu ngoba angazi ukuthi leziya zibhamu bezingaphuma nemiphefumula emingaki. Ngaze ngabuza ukuthi ngempela ngiKwaNongoma - ngaphuma kancane nakuleli hholo esasikulona. Ngabuka ngabona ukuthi cha sikhona impela - sisekhaya. Sase siyahamba siya edolobheni sakhuluma nabantu, iningi labo Mageba likugcizelele ukuthi amaphoyisa awabe khona ngoba asiza njengoba imimoya yayiphakeme ngaleziya zikhathi zokhetho, ukuba khona kwawo kwasiza ekutheni kube nokuthula.
Nokho satshelwa ukuthi ukhetho lwahamba kahle, Mageba. Ngingazi-ke noma sasingatshelwa kahle yini kodwa nathi sasikhona. Lwahamba kahle ukhetho kodwa lokhu akusho ukuthi abantu mabaphule umthetho futhi akusho ukuthi asebehlukumeza umphakathi akufanele bathathelwe izinyathelo kodwa njengoba uchazile Mageba, uma phela amaphoyisa esefika kuthiwa uMageba uphethe isibhamu esikhulu, uqhwasha noma i-AK awavamisile ukufika ekhaya athi hhe baba mnumzane sizocela izibhamu. Azicelwa kanjalo izibhamu kodwa uyazi-ke ukuthi sicelwa kanjani isibhamu, Mageba. Ngiyabonga sihlalo. [Ihlombe.](Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Hon Mageba, my goodness, I am not sure about the point you made about KwaNongoma, because we heard those complaints and we asked the community to come forward to discuss this. We also called the political parties like the IFP and the ANC and others that were there to talk about this issue.
However, we are not going to allow our people to be harassed - such things are not tolerated. We hope that you will also emphasise, hon Mageba, that those police who were working there before the elections should be brought back because they did a good job. They found heaps of guns there, hon Mageba. I was shocked by the sight of those guns and I nearly fainted on seeing them grouped in their different sizes, from the smallest to the biggest. I said, "gee whiz, where do all these guns come from!" What business do these guns have amongst the people because they should not be in the communities?
I am saying this because, good people, we should also commend the police when they are doing well. And I am still asking myself how many souls would have been lost through those guns. I enquired if we were really in KwaNongoma and even went outside of the hall to look around, when I realised that we were really at home. We then left for town and spoke to the people, and most of them, hon Mageba, emphasised that the police must be present as they are a great help. Since the elections, tensions were high and their presence helped in bringing about peace.
We were informed that the elections went well, hon Mageba. I am not sure whether we were told the truth, but we were also present. The elections went well, but that does not mean that people should break the law and that those who are harassing the community should not be punished. But as you have already mentioned, hon Mageba, when the police arrive after being told that hon Mageba has a big gun - a self-made one or an AK-47 - they do not normally come to your place and ask nicely by saying, "Hello sir, we are here to ask for a gun." That is not how you ask for a firearm - you know how to ask for a firearm, hon Mageba. Thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]] Debate concluded.