Yes, hon Faber. He lists a lot of grievances here. I nearly mistook this forum for the one that accepts memoranda from members of society. [Laughter.]
What he forgets to say, conveniently so, is that this police service he is bashing has been working very hard whilst he and others were enjoying life's pleasures. They were getting indigestion during the festive season while they were working throughout. I think, one day, if he finds a chance, he should say something positive.
We hosted the Indian Premier League, IPL, cricket together with the general elections in the country, and there were no problems because the police rose to the occasion, even when the prophets of doom predicted problems of security. He didn't mention that! It does not matter to him. [Applause.]
Just last week we concluded a very successful Confederations Cup. Doomsayers again were saying we were going to fail. We proved them wrong! [Applause.] But it doesn't matter. You know we are going to host the 2010 World Cup, hon Mageba, and we can say, even here and now, that the security forces led by the SAPS are ready to take up the challenge, but I also know that there are people who are going to be disappointed. Sorry for them, but we will succeed! And that will happen. [Interjections.]
You know, the uninformed cheap politicking, giving expression to the statement that recruitments in the police are by political affiliation, has to be dismissed. Police are recruiting in a professional way according to set guidelines. We have old police who have been in the system for a long time, like the hon member here. The commissioner, you know, was recruited not because of political affiliation. [Laughter.] It is dangerous statements like these which we need to refute, because they have no basis.
I find the issue of statistics interesting. In the other House yesterday a member of the DA just passed notes through. DA politicians have this obsession with statistics. Statistics are there on a daily basis. They are used by the police to plan operations, because that is what statistics are for. They are not for the DA; they are for the police, so I do not know what he is going to do with the statistics.
Honestly speaking, I do not think he has the capacity to understand them and to plan the fight against crime. [Interjections.] It really does not make sense. Absolutely!
He then says that the President failed to announce the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit and all these other things. Well, the President is not the Minister of Police. He is the President of the Republic of South Africa. [Applause.] The Minister of Police together with the Deputy has to say something on this. And if you were listening, we did and we pointed the way forward. I am not going to go back, but we will reproduce some copies. We will make sure that we get copies.
Regarding the issues members have raised about the detectives, we have pointed to that because members' observations are correct and the criminal justice review has pointed to that. As a result we had to speak about that and say what has been happening since April this year, and what is planned for the future. Indeed, it is a genuine criticism.
The hon Wiley talks about crime intelligence being weak in the Western Cape. He talks about the Western Cape being the worst. You see, the Western Cape for the past five years has been witnessing a decrease in crime statistics of 32%. For this year, the crime statistics are not out. Yet he comes here and says a lot of things, as if he is saying something serious and important when, in fact, he does not know.
He is supposed to come here and say, "I am ignorant about this", and ask. Here are the commissioners. Here is everybody who would offer that assistance with pleasure, without confusing things.
The issue of crime intelligence being weak needs to be explained. What does it mean if one says crime intelligence in the Western Cape is weak? There has to be issues which have to be raised.
Baba Mageba, njengoba sisho nje sizimisele ngo2010 kakhulu, njengale eminye imidlalo esiphuma kuyona. Nathi siyalisaba kakhulu ihlazo, sokwenza okusemandleni njengabantu ababhekelene nokuthula nokuphepha ezweni lakithi ukuthi kube njalo. Uyabona-ke Mageba, lena yamakomidi asekuhlaleni cha, hhayi nani ngeke savumelana. Baba ngoba into ebalulekile ngayo ukuthi njengohulumeni kungafani nelungu elihloniphekile isibonelo. uWiley ngiyabekisa, njengohulumeni sithi abaxexwe kukhulunywe nawonke, bagqugquzele umphakathi wonke ngezinhlaka ngokuhluka kwazo ukuthi ubambe iqhaza ekulweni le mpi nobugebengu.
Kodwa ngijabulile ukuthi awuyithathanga wayibeka la ibekwe khona umhlonishwa uWiley othi kunezingane eziyi-128 ezishonile lapha eNtshonalanga koloni. Uma ubazi ubezokwazi ukuthi uNgqongqoshe wakulesifunda kanye noNgqongqoshe Wamaphoyisa kanjalo noNgqongqoshe Wabesifazane naBakhubazekile bahlangene ngaloludaba bayalubuka loludaba olufana nalolu kodwa-ke lilonke siyabonga kakhulu malunga. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Hon Mageba, we have stated that we are ready for 2010, just like we were for the other games that we hosted. We are also afraid of bad publicity. As the people who are tasked to ensure that there is safety and security in our country, we will do everything in our power to achieve that. Mageba, when it comes to the issue of ward committees, I must say that I do not concur with you on that issue. The government does not share the same sentiments expressed by the hon member Wiley, if I can use that as an example. As government we say that they must be persuaded to encourage members of our diverse communities to participate in this fight against crime.
I must, however, state that I am glad that you did not take it as far as the hon Wiley did, who said that 128 children died in the Western Cape. If he knew about this matter, he would know that the MEC of this province, the Ministers of Police and of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities are working together regarding this matter. Thank you all hon members.]
Thank you very much for your constructive criticism. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.