Chairperson, Minister, Deputy Minister and hon members, I gladly follow my colleagues who have spoken before me on Budget Votes 23 and 25 respectively.
The Police Budget is one of the most important budgets in our democratic dispensation. It is important because policing and protecting derive from our supreme law, our Constitution, and are a centrepiece for the nation's development. The protection of the democratic order is entirely a mandate of our police. Without the police, we will tail off. We expect that the police will at all times be guided by our Constitution and the Bill of Rights and remain impartial in pursuance of the law and public order.
We value this budget, as per the constitutional requirement, in which the police have been voted R62,4 billion. The government's allocation to this department of this kind of budget shows that investing in the enabling sector, such as the police and the Justic, Crime Prevention Cluster, and Security contributes to a positive perception, thereby opening up opportunities for investment in the country. I wish to take the opportunity of this Budget debate to thank and compliment SA policemen and women who have been working hard night and day, in the hot summer and in snowy and stormy weather, to protect our country. We in Cope say that they must continue to be visible. We are also aware that for those police officers sitting there, many of their colleagues have paid the ultimate price for the safety of South Africans.
For the record, we particularly want to state that thousands and thousands of policemen and women are hardworking, honest and beyond reproach. We must emphasise that in doing their work, they should not violate or offend against our Constitution, irrespective of the situation they may find themselves in. Doing so is, in fact, a punishable offence. Equally, the manipulation of statistics in Limpopo is a serious crime, Minister, and punitive measures must be taken.
We are disappointed in the conduct of many police officers, who do not deserve to be called by the name of the SAPS as articulated in our Constitution. There are those involved in criminal conduct, such as helping drug dealers to have clear passage; being involved in drugs and abalone poaching; killing rhinos and selling horns; and turning into hit squads, like the Cato Manor squad, who allegedly have 45 bodies under their belt. They are worse than criminals and must not be tolerated by the state and the South African citizenry as a whole. The action taken against them, Minister and National Commissioner, must send a merciless message that this will not be tolerated in our country at this stage. [Applause.]
When the former National Commissioner, who is still under suspension, used the slogan, "Shoot to kill!", we warned that the introduction of such a concept was dangerous in our democracy. At the time we warned that those who handled fire power would use that power, then cover it up by giving reasons for doing so. We were emphatic that such a slogan was in fact a slow walk to Vlakplaas, where our people were eliminated by Eugene De Kock, the leader of that squad. Now, this squad, led by Johan Booysen, has done a similar thing.
Coming to other serious matters, Minister, the shenanigans in the police need to stop. The issues of the nonpayment of rent and the dubious leases have projected a negative image of the police and these need to stop.
We heard recently that instead of dealing with the problem of 27 000 police who lack the skill to handle a firearm, the Acting National Commissioner has talked about instituting an investigation into how the information was leaked. The information about guns and police officers who are unable to handle firearms was available during the oversight visit to all the provinces! We are worried that this has gone even further and that there is talk of some senior officials having been suspended as a result of this particular leak. When you read about Richard Mdluli in the newspapers, you see an abuse of resources. [Interjections.] This abuse has allegedly been used by him as a means to gain a position of power and influence politically, including becoming the National Commissioner. But Ministers are running away instead of acting firmly! [Interjections.] Must we conclude that the involvement and allowing Mdluli ... [Interjections.] ... to run away are in fact, to allow a political contest?
This same Richard Mdluli is the one who penned a report and then went on to use it in South Gauteng against his own suspension as an issue of conspiracy against him. Now, when you read about Mdluli versus the Hawks, ... [Interjections.] ... you see and observe a terrible and horrifying scene which is being allowed to worsen. Who is spying for whom to settle a party leadership contest? A report of this kind is unwarranted and, in fact, breathtaking.
We must conclude that staying silent on these issues and the lack of action can only signal support for this saga. When you hear about deployment, redeployment and suspension, you see a problem emerging and resulting in the top-heavy structure of the SAPS. Suspension is used by others to take over the position. It leaves us speechless and not able to say what we want to say. What we are seeing in the police is a power play on a scale never seen before.
The newspapers inform us that the Minister is worried about the bugging of cellphones. This is a serious matter ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]