Question NW148 to the Minister of Police

Reply:

a) The South African Police Service (SAPS) conducts regular skills gaps analyses, with regard to its members, and these skills gaps are aligned with the Performance Management and Performance Enhancement System (PEP) processes, in the SAPS. The aforementioned are individual performance management mechanisms that enable the management of members’ performance. But also provide for skills development requirements that are linked to their job purpose and functions. Once the skills gaps have been identified, the various business units within the SAPS submit their training needs, which are incorporated into the SAPS’ Training Provisioning Plan (TPP) for implementation on an annual basis. The TPP, which includes the skills gaps that were identified by different oversight bodies and the various business units, is approved annually by the SAPS’ Board of Commissioners (BOC), for implementation.

Critical needs relating to training interventions on gender-based violence and crimes against vulnerable groups; the prevention of crime; the investigation of crime, including cybercrimes; forensic services and crime intelligence; public order policing and the strengthening of leadership and management skills, within the SAPS, will continue to be prioritised annually. In addition to the annual prioritised training needs, the SAPS prioritises the training of certain areas of management, including station commanders and detective commanders, junior, middle and senior management.

The resourcing of the SAPS is done on an annual basis, in accordance with available funding from the SAPS’ budget allocation and indented resource requirements. Certain critical resources are prioritised, such as vehicles, firearms and ammunition, bullet-resistant vests and uniforms. The resourcing of police stations is coordinated by the respective provincial commissioners, who determine the required need and who are allocated a budget annually, for this purpose.

Physical and information technology resource requirements are communicated with the Divisions: Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Technology Management Services, which submit demand plans, linked to their budget allocation, which are then managed by the Division: SCM, through the prescribed procurement processes. Specific budget allocations are also made to the provincial commissioners for improving safety and police stations, including the procurement and installation of closed-circuit television systems, the funding of Community Policing Forums (CPFs) and Boards, the funding of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBV&F) interventions and the resourcing of the prioritised Top 20 high contact crime police stations.

b)  The SAPS receives various types of international training and assistance that assists with enhancing the capabilities of SAPS members, through cooperation with different countries and their embassies, including, inter alia, cybercrime, and specialised investigation skills