Minister of Police & National Commissioner on Strategic Overview & 2011 Performance Plan

Meeting report

Opening remarks
In her preamble, the Chairperson said that the When Duty Calls operation conducted recently by the Department went a long way towards engendering a sense of safety among South African citizens. The number of arms caches discovered was also commendable, though it was a concern that there were still many of these. The Committee condemned in the strongest terms the unauthorised visit to the Office of the Public Protector by members of the SAPS. All Chapter 9 institutions needed to be supported for the benefit of South Africa’s democracy. The Committee was deeply frustrated with the fact that no documents were delivered prior to the meeting. This showed a disregard for the Committee, especially as this was not the first time the Committee experienced this problem with the Department and the Department had been granted an extension previously. This made it very difficult for the Committee to engage effectively with the Department, the situation was untenable. She added there appeared to be a lot of ‘cut and paste’ from its previous presentation which called the credibility of the presentation into question.  

Political Overview of Strategic Plan
The Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, said addressing crime had been identified as one of five main Government priorities. As such, the Department found it critical to weed out elements within the criminal justice system who were involved in criminal activities, particularly corruption. To this end, its programmes consisted of achieving better policy, ensuring a better trained and equipped criminal justice system, the involvement of people in the fight against crime and a campaign to refurbish the moral fibre of South African society. Its programmes were based on the premise that the battle against crime could not be separated from the war on want and that the deviant activities of a few should not detract from the human rights of South African citizens. The South African Police Service was succeeding in executing its mandate largely because of its resolve as well as the support of society. This was particularly noticeable during the 2010 World Cup. The success of this event went a long way towards eliminating negative perceptions of crime in South Africa. It had also seen the reduction of the murder rate and other contact crimes. Emphasis had been placed on reducing crime against the most vulnerable members of South African society (i.e. women and children) and re-establishing the Family and Child Sexual Offences unit. In order to secure more convictions, all SAPS members were to be introduced to basic detective work. Transformation of the Police Force was also seen as a priority and, as such, it needed to speak to the values enshrined in the Constitution. Training of its members was essential and needed to be ongoing and relevant. The value of and respect for human rights needed to be inculcated into its members. Plans were also well underway to address the challenges of SAPS forensics abilities. 

Strategic Plan Presentation
General Bheki Cele, National Commissioner of Police, said that the SAPS mandate was derived from Section 205 of the Constitution. The Department’s strategic mandates in relation to its medium-term strategic framework was to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system by enhancing its detective and forensic environments, modernising through the application of technology solutions, enhancing the skills and increasing the number of investigators and forensic experts, accelerating efforts to reduce serious and violent crimes, mobilizing the population in the fight against crime, the intensifying efforts to combat crimes against women and children, promoting the empowerment of the victims of crime, establishing a border management agency to manage migration, customs and border control services, efficiently coordinating relevant departments in the ports of entry environment as well as combating corruption in both the public and private sectors. Its strategic mandates in relation to the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster priorities were reducing the levels of overall contact and trio crimes, accelerating efforts to reduce serious crime by 2% annually, contact crime by between 4 and 7% and trio crimes by between 4 and 7%, addressing corruption, managing crime perception, ensuring the effectiveness and integration of Border Management, securing the identity and status of citizens and integrating Information Communication Technology systems and developing an integrated cyber-crime approach.

On the costing of the plan, the spending focus over the medium term would include increasing overall capacity in terms of personnel numbers, physical resources such as basic equipment needs, capital infrastructure, skills development and technological enhancements. Expenditure trends had shown that spending had increased from R36.5 billion in 2007/08 to R53.5 billion in 2010/11 and was expected to grow to R66.7 billion over the medium term.

Some of the comments made while going though the Annual Performance Plan 2011/12 were:

Programme One: Administration
This budget had increased from R million 18 067,00 in 2010/11 to R million 20 215,0 in 2011/12. This was due to intensified skills development interventions, physical infrastructure creation and information technology projects. The improvement of capital infrastructure would focus on a structured capital works programme, specifically police stations and other accommodation, the development of geographical access norms to improve the accessibility of services. To be addressed would be new police stations, newly re-established stations, repaired and upgraded stations and infrastructure development. The enhancement of asset management would focus specifically on the planned procurement and distribution of critical assets. In terms of expenditure here it was estimated that 6 600 weapons to the value of R35,9 million would be procured in the 2011/12 financial year. General Cele noted the target of 95% of police station projects completed (32 police station projects in 2010/11) and said 12 such projects had been completed as at 31 December 2010.

Programme Two: Visible Policing 
Strategic priorities included improving police response and visibility in identified hotspots, increasing police action to reduce the proliferation of stolen, lost or illegal firearms, stolen or robbed vehicles, drugs and liquor, apprehending and charging known suspects involved in serious crime, the rendering of services to victims of sexual offences or domestic violence at the Thuthuzela Care Centres and Victim-Friendly Rooms at police stations and the prioritisation of the Rural Safety Plan. Expenditure estimates included R35.1 million for the development and equipment of 1 100 Tactical Response Team members.

The Border Security sub-programme listed the establishment of a Border Management Agency (BMA), which would facilitate the establishment of a mechanism to oversee the securing of South Africa’s borders, as one of its strategic priorities. The BMA would promote regional cooperation through Memoranda of Understanding with neighbouring countries in order to establish regional policing which would go towards combating crime, particularly at the borders. The policing of South African borders had been identified in the JCPS Cluster Delivery Agreement as a priority. The SAPS was currently working closely together with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) during this period of transition, subsequent to which the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of South Africa’s borders would be transferred to the SANDF.      

On its 2010/10 target to have an additional 79 police stations rendering a victim-friendly service, two additional such facilities had been established.

Programme Three: Detective Services
Some of the progress it had made in detection rates included the detection of an average of 52% serious crimes, 57% contact crimes and 16% trio crimes. An average of 55% crimes against women had been detected while an average of 44% of crimes against children had been detected.

Programme Four: Crime Intelligence
Some of the progress made included conducting 11 446 cluster and 8 554 ad hoc operations between 1 April 2010 and 31 December 2010.

Programme Five: Protection and Security Services
It had set itself the target of providing 100% protection to all identified VIPs while in transit without any security breaches. It had provided such protection to an average of 262 VIPs with no security breaches. In its Government Security Regulator sub-programme protecting National Key Points, it had conducted 2 841 planned actions at ports of entry during the first nine months of 2010/11, which resulted in the recovery of 425 vehicles and 13 124kg of cannabis. This was against its set target of 3 848 planned actions. Although it had set a target of reducing contact crime in the railway environment by 8.5%, such incidents had increased by 33.4% during the first nine months in the 2010/11 financial year compared to the same period in 2009/10.

Discussion
Mr G Schneemann (ANC) raised his concern that there were no targets listed in the Department’s Performance Plan for 2011/12. Was there, as it appeared, information missing in its Plan about its actions at ports of entry and railway policing?

A representative answered that this was due to 10 285 staff members being moved from Programme Five to Programme Two.

Ms D Kohler-Barnard (DA) asked why the target for reducing serious crime was set at only 2%. What was ‘crime perception management’? Why was no reference made to the investigation report by the Auditor-General which mentioned the significant amount of corruption among SAPS members at borders? Under which Programme did tender processes fall? Would the proposed purchasing of 6 600 weapons cover the significant amount of weapons lost by SAPS members themselves? Could such members not be charged for such losses and were there any serial offenders in this regard? Why did the Department wish to spend more money on the Tactical Response Unit when so many felt that this unit should be disbanded?

General Cele answered that, even though this target did indeed appear low, the fact that there had been no target previously made this an improvement. Crime was both real and perceived and the perceptions around South Africa’s crime levels often had a negative effect on the country’s image, both locally and internationally. It was important not to allow these negative perceptions to continue unabated.

A representative said that both the SANDF and SAPS were part of the JCPS cluster and there was also a Priority Committee. The Department was satisfied with the work done by the working groups in this environment. Tender processes fell under the Department’s Administration Programme. SAPS members who lost weapons were charged for such losses. More information on this could be provided at the Department’s next meeting with the Committee. 

General Cele continued that the Tactical Response Unit was there to respond to low- and medium-risks faced by people on the ground. Although they had reacted inappropriately in certain incidents, they had been very successful in reducing crime in crime hotspots, such Hillbrow, and needed to be credited for this. Closing the Unit would be playing into the hands of criminals and would therefore not be in the best interests of South African citizens.

Mr G Lekgetho (ANC) asked how it planned to mobilise ordinary citizens in the fight against crime.

A representative answered that the Department had four imbizos planned for the next financial year. It was also working on strengthening community policing forums.

Ms P Mocumi (ANC) asked how many victim-friendly centres were to be established and where.

A representative answered that exact details around this would be provided at the Department’s next engagement with the Committee.

The Chairperson asked for clarity on the figures for police stations as these did not seem to tally up.

A representative answered that nine of these projects had been completed in the previous financial year and could therefore not be included in the current figure. In calculating this figure the Department had looked at the percentage of completed projects. At the time of completing the report, 14 projects were 100% completed while six were 99% ready. The six that were 99% ready would be completed at the end of the current financial year. Eight projects were between 60% and 90% complete, they would be completed in the coming financial year.

The Chairperson said that, according to National Treasury regulations, Annual Performance Plans needed to include measurable objectives, expected outcomes, programme outputs, performance indicators and targets.

General Cele responded that the table on page 21 listed indicators, progress made and estimated performance which was based on the baselines set for previous years.

The Chairperson, in closing, said that when the Department appeared before the Committee on 14 October 2010 they had presented a professionally-prepared report. The current report was markedly different from the one presented on that occasion and therefore made it very difficult for the Portfolio Committee – as public representatives – to hold the Department accountable. The Performance Plan presented made it very difficult for the Committee to hold the Department accountable. The Department should redraft one that was user-friendly and listed measurable objectives, expected outcomes, programme outputs, performance indicators and targets. As there appeared to be significant repetition of information that was contained in the previous Strategic Plan, it led to the assumption that the present Strategic Plan was not a revised one. The Committee would be looking at both these documents to compare them and would also be revisiting the President’s State of the Nation Address to ascertain whether any of its priorities had been included in the Department’s Strategic Plan. The Department’s failure to present an adequate Performance Plan had resulted in a waste of Parliament’s resources. Taking cognisance these resources was one of the main reasons the Committee and she had allowed the meeting to continue. This situation could therefore not recur, particularly as the Department had caused changes in schedules which, in turn, directly affected the work of the Committee. The problems experienced with - and by - the Department could be symptomatic of a much deeper problem which needed to be addressed.  

The meeting was adjourned.