Finalisation of the White Paper: discussion

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Police

31 August 1998
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Meeting Summary

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Meeting report

SAFETY & SECURITY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE, SECURITY & JUSTICE SELECT COMMITTEE
31 August 1998
FINALISATION OF THE WHITE PAPER: DISCUSSION

Documents handed out
Draft White Paper on Safety and Security with previous changes incorporated.
Draft of Section 6 (Costing implications of the White Paper) from Secretariat for Safety & Security
Diagram of Option B

SUMMARY
The changes agreed to at the previous meeting were effected in the draft White Paper. The committee made further changes. The committee agreed that after the new changes were incorporated, the draft paper will be ready for the Minister to submit to Cabinet. The members will be visiting Guguletu Police station as well as Richmond in KwaZulu Natal

DETAILED MINUTES
Last week’s amendments were incorporated into the draft paper. These were the changes made:
The last paragraph (Sharing the burden) of Section 2 had been rewritten. The word "uniform" has been removed.
The word "unit" has been changed to "centre" in Section 3 (nstead of the National Crime Prevention Stategy Unit, it is now the National Crime Prevention Strategy Centre)
In the Introduction, the paragraph on "community policing" has been bolded to reflect its importance.
In Section 3 rural policing has been effected more broadly. Local government and civil society groups are included.
In Section 1 , Diagram 2 has been changed slightly. Welfare has been included. The words "all levels of government" have also been added.
In Section 2 (Crime intelligence) the intelligence structures are made to work together. However they should not appear as if they are a single unit.
In Section 5 the community police forums are to be coordinated by the national secretariat. However, this situation would be reviewable. S/he with other provincial secretariats would continue to develop guidelines and investigate issues relating to funding.
In Section 4 the draft paper states that the National Crime Prevention Centre needs legislation in relation to the question of funding. This is for future purposes.
In Section 5 the Provincial and National governments are to assist local governments in fighting crime.
In Section 2 (page 18) a new paragraph has been included. It describes police officers as victims in certain circumstances. Guidelines would be developed to assist them.
In Section 3 (page 21) the word ‘recidivism" has been replaced by the words, "repeat offending"
In Section 2 (page 9) a sentence has been included which requires government to make regional and international co-operation a reality in combating crime.
In Section 5 (page 30) part of the Constitution [s 206(3)] is included. The word, oversee should be taken to mean "improving". This section is in relation to the function of or roles of the provincial government.
In Section 1 (page 9) the words "technologically advanced" have been covered.
In Diagram 1 two blocks of the diagram are wrong and should be changed.

Some of the new proposals are:
In Section 1 (Towards effective social crime prevention) the last paragraph mentions the crime of rape and murder only. The committee suggested that assault and domestic violence should be included or added.
The last paragraph (Sharing the burden) of Section 2 the words "spheres of government" should be used.
In section 3 under the heading, Towards and integrated system of crime prevention, the sentence which refers to lower tiers of government should be deleted. The words "spheres of government " should be used. This is important because the constitution refers to spheres and not tiers.
The other important issue which came out of the meeting is that in Section 5 (pages 31 and 35) it spells out how the national secretariat would co-ordinate with provincial secretariats. It also spells out their close relationship.
At the end of Section 4 (page 29) there is a diagram which is option A.. A diagram which is option B was distributed at meeting. The meeting endorsed option B. However this diagram would require that, the South African Police Act, Public Accounts Act, Exchequer Act and Defence Act should be amended in order for it to function. Option B was accepted because it gives more clarity than option A.
There was a question of clarity with regard to the Independent Complaints Directorate. This was not answered because the committee would meet with the ICD next week.
In the Introduction (page 2) the dates should not be regarded as wrong. The aim is to adhere to these dates.

Parties agreed that the document is ready for cabinet. However the NP and IFP said that they would comment later.

On the 7 September the committee will visit the Gugulethu Police Station. On the 18 September they will visit Richmond in KwaZulu Natal.

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