Chairperson, hon members of Cabinet, Minister and the Deputy Minister of Police, Members of Parliament, invited guests and comrades, ladies and gentlemen, the fight against crime should be seen as a key stepping stone towards the realisation of the national democratic society. As such, crime should be fought with every ounce of brains and soul, but within the confines and the provisions of the law.
Chairperson, let me take this opportunity to sincerely thank our police officials who are bearing the brunt of the battle against crime in difficult and often dangerous times, yet are blamed for everything. We thank you all very much. [Applause.]
During the festive season and the 2010 Easter weekend, police officers sacrificed their holidays and made available their services to ensure our safety as citizens. What you have said, Minister, is true. The SAPS were visibly patrolling our streets, roads, malls, villages, urban and rural areas. They made us feel safe; and we were safe. This does not mean that there was no crime committed but that more crime that could have been easily committed, was prevented. As South Africans we appreciate your hard work, your sacrifices, and your patriotism.
We dip our banners in remembrance and honour of all police officers who died in the line of duty; we extend our heartfelt and sincere condolences to their immediate families, colleagues and communities. The members of the SAPS are our first line of protection. They are our shield and, as citizens, we hide behind them, so anyone who kills them leaves all of us exposed to criminals. Anyone who murders our police officers does so in order to remove them so as to get to us. Such criminals must, therefore, be found, arrested, prosecuted and sent to prison.
I am reliably informed that the murderers of three Amersfoort SAPS members who were recently murdered have been arrested; and this is highly appreciated. [Applause.]
Sihlalo, umbutfo wesive i-ANC uyalusekela loluphakelotimali lweLuphiko Lwemisebenti Yemaphoyisa kanye neLuphiko Lwetikhalo lolutimele. Silwesekela ngoba loluphiko lusebentile emanyakeni timali lowedlulile. [Chairperson, the ANC supports the budgets of the South African Police Service and of the Independent Complaints Directorate. We support them because the Directorate executed its duties well during the past financial year.]
On 1 July 2009, in this very House, as we were debating the same Budget Votes, we said our support as ANC was not just a blank cheque but we were going to closely monitor the department's spending and the impact of the budget on service delivery.
At the time of that Budget debate in 2009, the Department of Police was being administratively led by an acting national commissioner. Today, we have an appointed National Commissioner of Police, Gen Bheki Cele, who is hardworking and focused and has produced a clear strategic plan for the department. The ICD was facing leadership challenges; today we have an appointed executive director who is making a difference in the ICD. The civilian secretariat was not clearly executing its task; today, we have an appointed Civilian Secretariat of Police with a clear strategic plan.
The Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Commissioner Dramat, had only been appointed a month before and to date he is leading a functioning unit which can claim many successful stories.
The department had a SAPS staff of 183 180; today, they have a staff of 190 283. Then, we were debating a budget of R47,6 billion; today, we are debating a budget of R53,5 billion, which overall is a 3,43% budget increase in real terms. These few examples earn the department and the ICD our support, as the ANC, for their Budget Votes. By the way, the Department of Police, for more than five years in succession, has been receiving a clean audit opinion.
We come from a particular era where South African police had been trained on how to defend apartheid at all costs. This means that we are correcting systemic errors. In this regard, the role of training of SAPS members is fundamental. This calls for an in-depth review of the training curriculum. We can now evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the post-1994 training curriculum and actually approve it, for instance, a German parliamentary delegation told us on 13 April this year that their police training takes three years. I'm not suggesting that ours should also take three years, but I think we need a curriculum that takes into consideration our history as a country, the nature of crime, our social, political and economical needs, expectations, legislation, human rights, the Constitution and other issues. The curriculum content will dictate the duration of training. The budget for training in the SAPS is high, particularly in comparison with other departments. Its expenditure must be reflected in real improvement in performance and, thus, service delivery.
One other important issue is recruitment. Criminals, particularly organised crime syndicates, will always want to infiltrate our SAPS. In this regard, we have to put strict measures in place for the recruitment of police. The selection criteria must make it very difficult, if not impossible, for criminals to join the SAPS. If criminals are found within the SAPS, they must step down or be made to step down, and be sent to jail.
One is aware of the vastness and various areas of specialisation in the field of forensic science. Furthermore, one is aware that the on-the-job training approach in forensic science is a common practice throughout the world. But it is also true that other countries, particularly those in the Western world, offer a number of qualifications at their institutions of higher learning. Countries such as Britain, Canada and the USA all have a variety of qualifications in forensic science technology and, as such, do not suffer from a shortage of forensic scientists.
But until recently, South African universities did not offer courses specific to forensic science. However, the University of the Free State is pioneering a path for graduates with a BSc in Forensic Genetics, and Unisa has begun to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree of a similar nature but not focused on orthodox scientific forensic qualifications, as is the case at the University of the Free State.
The shortage of forensic scientists in South Africa can be directly linked to the previous and somehow current unavailability of qualifications in this field. It is time for us to engage our institutions of higher learning to begin to offer courses specific to the forensic sciences. One or two universities are simply not enough to address our shortage in this field.
Minister, what we have seen in this year's budget is that the capacitating of detective services will not only rely on our increasing the number of investigators, but will be accompanied by technological advancement. The remarkable budget increase in the Subprogramme: Criminal Record Centre and Forensic Science Laboratory complements the department's objective of enhancing the high-tech approach to investigation. As the ANC, we are neither pleased nor satisfied with the situation in the forensic science laboratory. Information provided to the portfolio committee on most of the machines or systems used in the forensic science laboratory is just disappointing. It points to poor planning, lack of proper choices and sometimes purchasing just for the sake of it. What it probably says is that we purchase in order to empower the supplier rather than to address our needs.
The Marshall system, laboratory information management system and machines that are kept in boxes for more than three months, which we saw as a portfolio committee, attest to this fact. We were further informed, as the portfolio committee, that four members who resigned from the SAPS in 2005, 2007 and 2008, respectively, are either employed or contracted through Sita contracts to provide the support and maintenance of the IT systems and specialised equipment in the forensic science laboratory; and please note that cadre deployment or affirmative action did not feature in this instance.
There is a need for an in-depth audit or even investigation in that unit. Our SAPS forensic science laboratories need a clear skills retention strategy; a skills transfer strategy; exhibit, storage and disposal policies, etc. The role of the forensic science laboratories is too crucial in the fight against crime and the integration of the criminal justice system. As the ANC within the portfolio committee, we must closely monitor this area during the 2010-11 financial year. Let me further congratulate the national commissioner for intervening in a very abnormal situation that was never spoken about by some of us. How can it be seen to be correct - if it is other people - when the wife is the director, the husband is a deputy director who reports to the wife, and the child is a service provider? Yet, if it was somebody else, the situation would have been branded with all sorts of labels such as "nepotism", "corruption", "affirmative action", etc. In this regard, disciplinary measures, if indicated, are most welcome.
The department will be appearing before the portfolio committee to brief it on its capital projects, which include the construction and refurbishment of police stations. For me, nothing makes sense, for now, but we will patiently await the department's presentation to the portfolio committee and then pronounce ourselves on it.
We further take note of the department's medium-term plan to construct and repair or upgrade police stations. For once, we know what to expect during this term. But provinces that were not part of the planning process should be allowed to make their submissions so as to ensure a much fairer distribution.
The 1992 Ready to Govern document noted that the ANC is committed to the creation of a single police service. The Polokwane conference reaffirmed this principle of a single police service. Under this principle, we believe that metro police and the SAPS will be under the command of the National Police Commissioner in line with the integrated approach to crime-fighting. Steps towards the realisation of this constitutional principle, as announced by the Minister today, are welcomed.
The ANC manifesto commits us to stepping up measures to fight corruption within society, as it is a threat both inside and outside the state. The SAPS Corruption and Fraud Prevention Plan, I understand, was approved. We believe that it has been implemented by national and provincial divisions and all 1 117 police stations in the country; and we will be monitoring that. In this regard, I want to say something about port-of-entry security and particularly the border post.
In April this year, we visited the Maseru border post. The information there and at other ports of entry is so clear. It comes from many sources and it says some people deserve to go to prison; and they must be sent to prison. We have many excellent police officers, but we have a certain police officer in Amersfoort who said, "Yizinkunzimalanga". [People are full of surprises.] We need SAPS officers who conduct themselves ethically and professionally and definitely not "izinkunzimalanga". [people are full of surprises.] Those who cannot behave in an accepted manner to everyone must volunteer to leave the service or be made to step aside.
Managers at all levels must be made to account for their actions or omissions and commissions. People who cannot manage must be put in areas where they will do other work and less management. Resources need to be managed by managers; otherwise our efforts are a waste of time.
In conclusion, after attending the SAPS national launch of the state of readiness for the 2010 Fifa World Cup and Good Ambassador Campaign on Thursday, 29 April 2010, at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, pride in our country and about our country is a common bond between us all. It is the essence of our new patriotism. Afrika ke nako! [Africa, now is the time!] South Africa is ready. Come one, come all! I thank you.