Norwegian Delegation Meeting & Preparation of Oversight Visit to Kwa-Zulu Natal: discussions

NCOP Security and Justice

28 February 2007
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Meeting report

SECURITY AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE

SECURITY AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE
28 February 2007
NORWEGIAN DELEGATION MEETING & PREPARATION OF OVERSIGHT VISIT TO KWA-ZULU NATAL: DISCUSSIONS

Chairperson:
Mr K Mokoena (ANC, Limpopo)

Documents handed out:
Draft Programme: Kwazulu-Natal 5-9 March 2007
Country Profile Kingdom of Norway

SUMMARY
The Committee considered the draft programme for the oversight visit to KwaZulu Natal and proposed that all stakeholders be asked to give briefings during the same meetings, to further the Committee’s objectives of having magistrates, prosecutors, Community Safety Forums and the police service discussing matters together to reach solutions. Briefings should include information on police stations, numbers and demographics of communities served, and spending patterns.

The Committee would meet with a Norwegian delegation on 1 March. In preparation for this meeting a detailed country profile was tabled and read out by the Chairperson.

MINUTES
Draft Programme: KwaZulu-Natal – 5-9 March 2007

The Chairperson tabled the draft programme. The Committee would use the same strategy as in North West, inviting a number of police stations to the same briefings, then visiting them individually if time permitted. All stakeholders would be expected to give a short overview about their departments. Mr Mokoena would demand that the Chief of Metro Police attend. Confirmation was still awaited whether the Provincial MEC would be available to talk to members on the last day.

Mr Z Ntuli (ANC, KwaZulu-Natal) proposed that in order to try to accommodate everybody and to promote the community safety forum, all stakeholders, including magistrates, the prosecutors, South African Police Service (SAPS) should attend together to brief the delegation. Separate briefings would not promote the idea of the Committee that all stakeholders should be talking to each other. The Committee should be proactive in trying to have them think alike on peace and stability.

The Chairperson agreed, but added that if there was time the Community Safety Forum structure should be there as well.

Mr L Fielding (DA, Northern Cape) proposed that a list of questions should be handed out at every police station, asking for details on how many fire arms were held, how many vehicles there were and how many firearms were in the safe.

The Chairperson stated that he would prefer spoken answers to these questions, but that the answers must be prepared.

Ms F Nyanda (ANC, Mpumalanga) felt that a questionnaire would result in delegates getting a standard report.

Mr N Mack (ANC, Western Cape) suggested the inclusion of further questions, including those on the staff establishment. A suggestion was made to use the station monitoring tools used by Portfolio Committees.

The Chairperson was familiar with those tools but said that the Committee had a different approach as Members would be asking questions that directly affected provinces.

Mr Fielding felt there was a need to look into the spending patterns, in particular the purposes for which money was spent.

Mr Mack was concerned about the area of service and satellite stations; how many police stations served the population, the numbers and profiles of people being served, the number of vehicles, the geography of the locations. He suggested that questions would be put according to profiles.

The Chairperson agreed it was important to know how many officers were available in relation to the number of people. The first briefing should concentrate on the profiles.

Visit by Norwegian Delegation 1 March 2007
The Chairperson advised that the Committee would be meeting with the Norwegian delegation at 10h30 on 1 March. The delegation consisted of sixteen people and wished to know about the NCOP and this Committee’s work in Parliament. Members should ensure they would be available and ready to answer questions.

The Chairperson tabled and read out a country profile on Norway, for the guidance of Members.

Briefly he stated that Norway was a constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democratic rule. The Head of State was King Harald V and Head of Government was Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg (Labour Party). Legislative power was vested in the bicameral Storting (Parliament) with 165 members elected for four years by universal adult suffrage, on the basis of proportional representation. The Storting divided itself into two chambers by choosing one-quarter of its members to form the Lagting (Upper House), the remainder forming the Odelsting (Lower House). Executive power was nominally held by the King but was exercised by the State Council (Council of Ministers), led by the Prime Minister. The King, in accordance with the will of the Storting, appointed the council. For electoral purposes, Norway was divided into 19 counties (fylker). The current government had been appointed in October 2005 The new government represented the Labour Party, the Socialist Left and the Centre Party. Prime Minister Stoltenberg’s government had continued with Norway’s line on foreign policy, which emphasised support of the African Agenda.

The document detailed Norway’s mixed economy, involving a combination of free market activity and government intervention. The government controlled key areas, such as petroleum, through large scale state enterprises, and subsidised agriculture, fishing and areas with sparse resources. It had an extensive welfare system that helped propel public sector expenditures to slightly more than 50% of the gross domestic product (GDP), and resulted in one of the highest average tax burdens in the world. Norway depended heavily on international trade. It exported raw materials and semi-processed goods. There was an abundance of small and medium sized firms. It was one of the major shipping nations. Its natural resources included petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals. Oil and gas accounted for one-third of exports. It was not a member of the European Union but contributed to its budget. Government has moved ahead with privatisation.

Norway had excellent relations with South Africa. It had supported the liberation movements during the struggle for democracy, and had attempted to effect change through boycotts and withdrawal of business and trade relations. Norway kept an embassy in Cape Town, and a South African Consulate-General had been in Oslo since 1988. The various State visits were outlined in the document. A Memorandum of Understanding Relating to Joint Consultation and Decision Making in Matters of Foreign Policy had been signed in 1996 and almost annual meetings between the foreign ministers had been held since then. Norway expressed support for the President’s global initiative for Africa, and promised to continue its development cooperation with South Africa. There was excellent understanding on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the South African position on Zimbabwe.

Fundamental to trade relations between South Africa and Norway was the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for the import of goods from developing countries, which was extended by Norway to South Africa in May 1994. South Africa was seen as a growth point into the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa. Norwegian companies had shown an interest in various ventures and were willing to assist South African SMMEs to had viable business plans in joint venture operations. There was great potential for tourism.

The development cooperation and funding from Norway was fully detailed in the document. The total amount disbursed during the period 2000 to 2004 was R412. 574 million. Agreed guidelines for a new period of development cooperation to 2009 focused on cooperation in areas where collaboration could result in long term, self-sustaining relationships; consolidation of democratic transition; and strengthening regional integration and collaboration. These included areas of higher education and research, environmental and natural resources, energy, democracy, peace, security and human rights. Norway was committed to providing NOK250 million for the bilateral cooperation over the five-year period.

Promotion of human rights was central to South Africa and Norwegian foreign policies. Norway supported the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and provided funding to it.

The meeting was adjourned.


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