Department Budget Report: adoption

Meeting report

SAFETY AND SECURITY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
7 April 2005
DEPARTMENT BUDGET REPORT: ADOPTION

Chairperson: Ms M Sotyu (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Committee report on Department budget (Available shortly at Committee Reports )

SUMMARY
The Committee adopted, with minor amendments, their report on the Department budget for 2005/2006, and the forward estimates for 2006/07 and 2007/08, as well as the Department’s Strategic plan. The report summarised the South African Police Service’s (SAPS’s) Strategic Plan 2005-2010, the structure of its Budget Vote 2005 - 06 and its broad expenditure trends.

The Committee focused primarily on the sections of the report entitled "Committee Findings and Concerns" and "Recommendations". They supported pay increases for SAPS members and recommended that more attention be given to training and recruiting detectives.

MINUTES

Department budget report
The Department budget had increased by 15.8% in nominal terms and 11.3% in real terms since last year, rising from R24.57 billion to R28.46 billion. The budget had been supplemented by an additional allocation of R1.6 billion for 2005/06, R2.3 billion for 2006/07 and R3.3 billion for 2007/08, to be used for salary increases and adjustments and additional personnel. New spending priorities for 2005/06 included better pay for SAPS staffmembers and closed circuit television (CCTV) in police facilities. The biggest increase in the 2005/06 budget was in the Protection and Security Services Programme, increased by 36% on last year. The report briefly analysed each of the programme allocations (Administration, Visible Policing, Detective Services, Crime Intelligence, and Protection and Security Services) and considered the concerns of stakeholders: the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), the Safety and Security Secretariat and the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) and the South African Police Union (SAPU).

Discussion
Mr A Maziya (ANC) thought that the report did not properly reflect the Committee’s lack of approval for the SAPS’s intention to increase salaries according to performance.

The Chairperson agreed that the Committee had had a problem with SAPS management and did not trust their ability to judge performance. The Auditor-General’s report on the SAPS had not been encouraging. A sentence on page 12, under "Administration programme" gave the erroneous impression that the Committee supported "pay progressions based on performance". The words "based on performance" should be removed.

Ms A van Wyk (ANC) noted that the section titled "Salary Increases" (page 8) first listed the Committee’s concerns and then the Departments’ answers. However, the Committee had found the Department’s responses unsatisfactory. The report should list the Departments’ reasons first and then the Committee’s concerns, and note that the Committee was dissatisfied, even though the unions and SAPS had agreed.

The Chairperson said that in the section "Physical Resources", the Committee’s particular concern for the rural areas should be noted.

There was some discussion as to whether police stations should be guarded by private security companies, or at all. The Chairperson said the Committee should wait until receiving the SAPS’s report on the matter before discussing this issue.

Mr A Mazayi (ANC) said that the Committee had discussed the Community Policing Forums (CPFs) and the need to empower them financially. The Chairperson agreed that this ought to be added to the report.

Mr O E Monareng (ANC) proposed that the report be adopted with amendments. Mr A Maziya (ANC) seconded, and the report was adopted.

The meeting was adjourned.