Chairperson, can I pass this small remark that hon Coetzee should stop grandstanding; this is a serious committee. Hon Ministers, hon members, the Director-General with his entire security cluster, I greet you all on behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence. Let me start by pronouncing that the African National Congress supports this Budget Vote.
The problem of crime has long been in the minds of tourists, visitors and residents of the country, and in a beautiful country with so much to offer, crime has stuck out as one of the main scourges, keeping the country from being the best in the world.
We understand that crime is the function of inequality where the gap between the poor and the rich is huge and the inequality in the distribution of wealth and resources is wide. This then implies that, with the widening differences in wealth, crime might increase and, unless the inequalities are tackled, it may be difficult to combat crime.
However, statistics compiled by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute show that South Africa has lower rates of violent crime than most African and South American countries, but due to the fact that South Africa is often compared to the developed world, the crime rate is considered high when measured against the likes of England, the United States, Italy, Germany and other First World countries. We have to ask ourselves, why is it that we have a lower crime rate compared to other developing countries?
There have been media reports that our borders are porous, which makes it easier for foreign nationals to enter as they please, but it is a reality that with South Africa having the highest gross domestic product, GDP, in Africa, it attracts both legal and illegal immigrants.
Also, with the high development of technology in the developed world and in South Africa, we are facing the most sophisticated crimes, that of organised crime and international syndicates who look at South Africa as a potential gold mine.
It has therefore become important to tighten our security in the country internally and externally. We have to get early warnings of the strategies and tactics of these international criminals and drug lords in order to nip them in the bud. Perhaps I do need to say that the crime intelligence division of the SAPS, and other intelligence structures, are working tirelessly to make this country safe.
The crime intelligence services, as provided for by section 2 of the Intelligence Services Oversight Act, Act 40 of 1994, reports to the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence which plays an oversight role over it. The intelligence committee itself is responsible for managing information gathering, centralising an integrated intelligence management, co- ordination and analysis. They also provide a technical intelligence support service to the operational components of crime intelligence and, where necessary, to other operational divisions of the SAPS.
At this juncture, I would like to congratulate our Minister of State Security for having been appointed as head of the border management agency. We have all confidence in you, Minister, and feel assured that the fears that people might have can now be put aside and that people can start enjoying democracy in a secured South Africa.
Minister, this will surely be a challenge to you, for it's a fact that there is a lot of cross-border crimes, particularly between Lesotho and South Africa. Stock theft, drugs and stolen vehicles which are excessively high are the order of the day. However, we welcome the involvement of the Defence Force as part of the security forces to patrol our borders.
But all is not doom and gloom for, recently, Local Organising Committee CEO Dr Danny Jordaan confronted fears surrounding spectator safety at the World Cup and said:
This world is unstable, not just for one country. If you look at the track record of South Africa, it has hosted more than 150 major events since 1994, including the Rugby World Cup, the Cricket World Cup. Last year we hosted the Indian Premier League, after India was deemed unsafe, and (rugby unions), British and Irish Lions and (football's) Confederation Cup - and there was not a single incident. We are comfortable, but we will be vigilant.
These successes at our airports, on land and in our sea ports can all be attributed to our intelligence capacity, to the security co-ordination of our security forces, in particular the crime intelligence of the SA Police Force, because of their professionalism and precision in their operations.
We must also praise all other forces of the security cluster for the manner in which they share information so that it can be directed to where it could be better utilised.
Crime affects all of us, so as citizens of this country, united in our diversity, we also have a role to play to combat crime. The following are some of the strategies we could employ, for crime is a reality.
Strategy 1 acknowledges that community participation is an important crime prevention strategy. For example, the Department of Correctional Services requires the community to play a part in rehabilitation, while the SAPS relies on the community to report crimes.
Strategy 2 states that communication between various role-players, especially the police and communities, is vital for increasing confidence and trust in the criminal justice system. For example, when crimes are reported, victims should not have to wait for long to receive case numbers as this does not provide an immediate guarantee that something will be done.
Strategy 3 is the need to strengthen the criminal justice system in responding to crime and the importance for various state organs in the criminal justice system to collaborate to ensure multisectoral strategies for crime prevention.
Strategy 4 entails encouragement of community participation, especially participation partnerships with the SAPS and other law enforcement agencies, for integrated crime prevention, including pro-active responses in dealing with crime - especially domestic violence - and the development of systems where individuals are informed of the status of their reported cases.
This strategy has been proven to be very effective in Cuba, which has one of the lowest crime rates in Latin America. In Cuba community organisations play a significant role in controlling criminal activities by generating and sustaining citizen participation and generating an understanding of the nature of community crime and helping to form partnerships for community policing. Strategy 5 is the necessity for the police to continuously strive towards protecting people's rights and the need for the media to ensure positive reporting of crime in order to create the desired paradigm shift in communities.
Strategy 6 entails educating the public about their responsibility towards crime.
Strategy 7 requires a better balance between the rights of the accused and the rights of the victims. This may include the mechanisms to protect victims from reprisals in reporting crimes and to facilitate testimony in courts.
Strategy 8 is a long-term general change of mind set through school curricula and special programmes that impart to the youth much-needed life skills, positive social values and healthy recreational opportunities.
Strategy 9 is based on the Broken Window Theory which states that an increase in minor crimes dynamically triggers more severe crimes without the reverse being true. As far as enforcement is concerned, tougher enforcement in respect of mild offences not only reduces minor crimes, but also dynamically deters more severe offences. Put simply, petty crimes like jaywalking and public urination have to be tackled very strictly and strongly and the other crimes will start dropping. In conclusion, it should be noted that while South Africa is said to have one of the highest crime rates in the world, there is an element of unfairness in this assertion, because South Africa is usually compared to developed countries as many developing countries do not keep proper and reliable records of the crimes that are committed there. Also, the socioeconomic conditions, unemployment levels and the state's ability to help those in need are more favourable in the developed states concentrated mainly in the northern hemisphere.