Report back on questions for questionnaire

SELECT COMMITTEE ON SECURITY AND JUSTICE
4 MARCH 1998
REPORT BACK ON QUESTIONS FOR QUESTIONNAIRE

Minutes have not been taken at this meeting, but the documentation, the draft questionnaire, is available.

A. SAFETY AND SECURITY

Question 1
Operational structure of the Department of Safety and Security.
(a) Identify two of the weakest areas of the Department in your province.
(b) What do you regard as the two strongest areas of the Department in your province.

Question 2
Operational structure of the SAPS
Identify the two weakest and strongest areas of the operational work of the SAPS in your province.

Question 3
Resources
(a) Which key resources do you feel are deficient in your province?
(b) Of these deficient resources, which ones make the maximum impact on the ability of the SAPS to fulfil its functions?

Question 4
Personnel
(a) Do you believe we are maximising the use of existing personnel in the province?
(b) If not, what can be done to remedy the situation?
(c) Which key areas of training should be focused upon in your province?
(d) How can we improve the work ethic and moral responsibility of SAPS members in the province?

Question 5
Efficiency
(a) How efficient is the SAPS in its investigation of reported cases in the province?
(b) Are cases being investigated and followed up timeously?
(c) How can we improve on this?
(d) Do we deal efficiently with witnesses, complainants and victims?
(e) Are you satisfied with the arrest, prosecution and conviction rate in the province?

Question 6
Relationship with communities
(a) How well established and effective is community-police forums in the province?
(b) What difficulties do the SAPS experience in these forums?

Question 7
Liaison
(a) Does the Provincial Commissioner and District Commissioners recognise and respond to your oversight role as a legislature?
(b) How co-operative is the SAPS and the Department during visits by, and inquiries from the legislature?
(c) To what extend does the MEC relates to the legislature?

Question 8
Victims, police and support services
The SAPS play an important role in shaping the crime victim's initial experiences.
(a) What victim support programmes are in place in your province?
(b)How effective are these support programmes in its attempts to deal with the victims of crime?

Question 9
Role of the SANDF
(a) How effective is the SANDF in your province in performing one of their secondary roles, namely to prevent crime by being deployed in co-operation with, and in support of the SAPS?
(b) If your province have an international border, how effective is the contribution made by the SANDF regarding border patrol and border protection, in co-operation with other government departments?
(c) If your province is adjacent to the coastline, how effective is the SANDF in protecting marine resources?

B. JUSTICE

Question 1
The Hoexter Commission has made written recommendations in regard to the rationalisation of our High Courts.
(a) Do you support these recommendations?
(b) If not, what are the views of the province in regard to the recommendations?
(c) What steps have been taken before arriving at a decision? (e.g. consultation with stakeholders, holding of public hearings, participation of Standing Committee on Safety and Security in the deliberations etc.)

Question 2
The Department of Justice has located offices in each province.
(a) To what extent does the Standing Committee on Safety and Security (or similar provincial standing committees) interact with the offices of the Department of Justice?
(b) To what extent does interaction take place with the Departments of Safety and Security, Welfare, Correctional Services and Intelligence with a view of developing a cohesive and integrated approach towards transforming our Criminal Justice System?

Question 3
Can the province identify areas of difficulty in the following areas? (Please
provide details)
(a) buildings (e.g. courts that require renovation or extensions)
(b) shortage of magistrates
(c) integration of courts located in close proximity to one another (arising from the former homelands being consolidated into provinces)
(d) shortage of prosecutors and interpreters
(e) requirements in terms of personnel or other resources
(f) requirements of training
(g) to what extend training has been given to personnel (magistrates and prosecutors) on human rights and constitutional development of the common law
(h) on new legislation (e.g. bail reform, sentencing, amendments to the correctional services act and the parole act).
(i) Are there any suggestions as to how these issues should be dealt with.