SAPS Budget: briefing

MINUTES
Budget
The Head of Financial Services, S Schutte, and the National Budget Coordinator, J Nelson, of the South African Police Services briefed the committee on SAPS budget.

Questions and comments by committee members
Rev K Meshoe (ACDP): Concerning rewards offered to people, who give information leading to the arrest of a criminal, I would like to know whether there are any policy guidelines for the rewards. For example is there any possibility that a reward of R250 000 is offered in the press but when the person claims the reward, he is informed that the reward is actually R2 000 or that there was no reward and the printed information was a mistake? I have had a person tell me that this has happened to him.

Mr S Schutte: There is policy for the payment of sources. We have a problem with pricing the information given. We are going to have an information assessment programme. With regard to the example of R250 000 printed in the press, I cannot comment. But if the information regarding such a case is given to SAPS, I do not see any reason why the informer cannot be paid.

Mr M Booi (ANC) referring to the documentation provided on the SAPS budget asked why it is not construed according to the medium term expenditure framework and done in terms of priorities. He felt there was not sufficient explanation.

The response was that this budget is in line with Government policy but merely presented in another manner.

Mr Schutte: There is an umbrella of priorities, which differ according to the needs of the provinces. If you are interested in any specific needs of any particular province, then it can be provided for you.

Mr M Booi (ANC): I am not satisfied with this presentation on Operational Services. For example, with Operation Good Hope, we need to know how many people came from National to the Western Cape province, how many vehicles were used and other issues. This type of approach does not help us. Do you have these facts or not?

Deputy Minister, Joe Matthews: Documents can be made available on the Good Hope operation. Good Hope alone can take us only a day to prepare. There are no secrets with money and this budget. This is an open police force.

Ms J Sosibo (ANC): Whenever we have a briefing, the Department does not want to give us documents in advance. That is where the problem lies.

Mr R Zondo (ANC): On 3 September we requested National Commissioner Fivaz specifically for documents to be delivered timeously. The Chairperson agreed. It was pointed out that

Committee member: We have asked for the documents in advance. The National Commissioner promised this Committee that it would get the documents at least a day in advance. We did not.

Response: We sent these documents electronically to our office in Cape Town on Wednesday.

Deputy Minister: We have just been informed that the documents were delivered yesterdayday at 9am to the Committee.

At this stage Ms J Sosibo suggested that the meeting be closed rather than

the Committee going in circles. Ms A Van Wyk (UDM) stated that closing the

meeting was not an option at all. She disagreed that the documents were not

delivered to the members the previous day. "We had the documents in our

pigeon holes yesterday". Mr E Ferreira (IFP) said "maybe drinking tea and

going home is not a bad idea. The Chairperson ruled that the meeting must go on.

There used to be no members' contribution and no limit on claims. The labour unions and management negotiated and they agreed that:

- They have to introduce a limitation and members have to contribute;

- For the current year this will not be implemented until 1 December 1999.

What steps had been taken to prevent further abuse of the Polmed funds.

Mr Schutte: A new financial/ health computer software package will have to be introduced. It will reduce the percentage of misuse.

What is the composition of the Polmed management.

Response: 50% of management comes from the Police management and 50% comes from Unions.

Mr E Ferreira (IFP): For persons who have taken retrenchment packages, can they remain beneficiaries of the Polmed?

Response: Once the new agreement is introduced, the person can remain as member of Polmed as long as the member's contribution is made. At present such a person does not have to contribute.

Mr Schutte stated that at the end of October they would be Y2K complaint for the year 2000.

In the past there were police stations in rural areas that did not have telephones and fax machines. How many police stations still do not have this equipment and what has been done to improve the situation?

Response: A major drive has been undertaken in this regard. Most police stations have been upgraded and there will a continual system of upgrading them.