Hansard: NA: Mini-plenary 2

House: National Assembly

Date of Meeting: 20 May 2021

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Minutes

UNREVISED HANSARD

MINI PLENARY - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY THURSDAY, 20 MAY 2021

Watch video here: Vote No 28, 24 & 21 - Police (Including Independent Police Investigative Directorate and Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service)

 

PROCEEDINGS OF MINI-PLENARY SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

 

Members of the mini-plenary session met on the virtual platform at 14:01.

 

The House Chairperson Mr C T Frolick took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.

 

VIRTUAL MINI-PLENARY RULES

 (Announcements)

The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Thank you, hon members. Before we proceed, I would like to remind you that the virtual mini-plenary session is deemed to be on the precinct of Parliament and thus constitute a meeting and

 

sitting of the National Assembly for debating purposes only. In addition to the rule of virtual sittings, the Rules of the National Assembly will apply. Members will enjoy the same privileges as that apply in the sitting of the National Assembly. However, members should equally note that anything that is being said in the virtual platform is deemed to have been said to the House and may be ruled upon.

 

 

All members who have logged in shall be considered to be present and are requested to mute their microphones and to only unmute when recognised to speak. This is because the microphones are very sensitive and it will pick up any noise which may disturb the attention of other members. Therefore, when recognised to speak, please unmute your microphone and connect your video. Members may make use of the icons on the bar at the bottom of their screens that has an option that allows a member to put up his or her hand to raise a point of order. The Secretariat will assist me in this regard.

 

 

When using the virtual system members are urged to refrain or desist from unnecessary point of order or interjections. We

 

shall now proceed to the order which is debate on Vote No 28 – Police, including Vote No 24 – Independent Police Investigative Directorate and Vote No 21 – Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service Appropriation Bill. I now recognise the hon Minister of Police. The hon Minister!

 

 

APPROPRIATION BILL

 

 

Vote No 28 – Police, including Vote No 24 – Independent Police Investigative Directorate and Vote No 21 – Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service:

 

 

The MINISTER OF POLICE: Thank you very much, hon House Chair. Hon Ministers present, Deputy Ministers, Chairperson and all members of the portfolio committee, hon members of the executive council, MECs, hon Members of Parliament, heads of entities, ladies and gentlemen, sanibonani, dumelang, molweni, avuxeni [greetings]. Receive my safety and security greetings this afternoon on behalf of all the brave men and women in blue, and most importantly, on behalf of the solid workforce of all the employees serving in the entities under the

 

Ministry of Police. Hon members, if I was in uniform I was going to symbolically salute all of them for the selfless service they have rendered in honour of our Constitution with outmost patriotism and courage. House Chairperson, allow me to quote from the wise words of one of our greatest statesman Nelson Mandela when he said, I quote:

 

 

If you want co-operation of human beings around you, you must make them feel they are important, and you do that by being genuine and humble yourself.

 

 

It is on that score, hon members, that I dedicate this Budget Vote to the members of the SA Police Service who continue to serve and protect against all odds. Furthermore, I dedicate this speech to the fallen members who have died in the line of duty in the crossfire against ruthless criminals.

 

 

House Chairperson, I want to reiterate the seriousness of the barbaric acts of the killing of police officers, this is one crime that must be elevated, challenged and highly publicised. In fact, there must be a national call for the perpetrators of

 

this crime to be arrested and never see the sunrise nor the sunset again. In the first three months of this year, 24 police officers were killed. Indeed, there must be a national outcry of that. The work of our police officers reminds me of George Orwell when once said, I quote:

 

 

People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.

 

 

This is how seriously police officers take this heavy responsibility in serving and protecting the nation. I dedicate this speech to the detectives, investigators, forensic analysts, K9 units and scientists who work tirelessly to follow leads and solve the most complicated and sophisticated crime scenes. I dedicate this speech to our elite units and special forces for excellence in executing their duties in protection of the nation. Hon members, I dedicate this speech to the members of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Ipid, who perform the most difficult job of policing the law enforcement agencies.

 

Equally, I dedicate this speech to the oversight personnel of the Civilian Secretariat of Police Service, who performs the crucial oversight task of ensuring that every commitment made by the police is honoured and implemented. Moreover, I dedicate this speech to the private security industry that is working with us there, the Metro Police and all other law enforcement agencies who serve as force multipliers in the business of policing.

 

 

Last but not least, I whole heartedly dedicate this speech to all employees of this sector who have succumbed to the deadly of coronavirus disease 2019, Covid-19, pandemic. We have painfully lost hundreds of our employees both uniform members and support personnel across departments and entities. Many of them could not get their well-deserved dignified send off because, we had to observe Covid-19 regulations. Policing under Covid-19 pandemic has left the sector with numerous lessons and unmatched level of experience of policing against all odds.

 

Chairperson, I would like to call upon all the generals and the senior management, the executives, to understand the role of leadership. Let us appreciate our members and our employees. Without them, there is no service delivery, and without them there is no government. Hence their morale must be our utmost priority. Stop victimising them for no reason, stop the workforce cruelty of purging and patronising them.

For once, stop the workforce bullying and serve in the position of power with dedication and humility.

 

 

House Chairperson, allow me to table the SA Police Service, SAPS, budget breakdown per programme to make visible the initial budget allocation and the adjusted budget allocation thereof. Over the medium-term, we endeavour to mitigate the impact of budget reductions of service delivery. The expenditure is expected to decrease at an average annual rate of 0,8%, from R99,6 billion in 2020-21 to R97,1 billion in 2023-24. Compensation of employees accounts for 78% of the department’s expenditure over the period ahead. To remain within government’s expenditure ceiling for compensation of employees, the department’s budget for this item is reduced by

 

R35,8 billion over the medium-term. Of this, R15,9 billion is in line with the decision not to implement the third year of the 2018 public sector wage agreement, and freezing of salary increases for the next three years. The remaining

R19,9 billion represents Cabinet’s approved baseline reductions to narrow the budget deficit and shift the composition of government spending from consumption to investment, excluding the reductions on compensation of employee., Cabinet has approved further reductions of the department’s baseline amounting to R3,4 billion over the medium-term. These reductions will mainly be effected on noncore goods and services items.

 

 

The department’s spending focus for the year, which is mainly on goods and services as well as Capital Investment over the medium-term includes the following: Reductions in the compensation of employees’ budget baseline, requires reprioritisation of SAPS resources as well as investment in technology. The department will sustain the forensic services baseline allocation as increased in the 2020-21. The baseline allocation for the Directorate for Priority Crime

 

Investigation, DPCI; professionalising the police service through skills development; continued strengthening of the criminal justice system by supporting the Integrated Criminal Justice Strategy; investigating in capital assets consisting of machinery and equipment essentially transport assets as well as mobile police stations; and a continued focus of other critical items such as bullet resistant vests, firearms, uniform, etcetera.

 

 

In our efforts to continue with the implementation of the panel of experts reports emanating from the Marikana Commission recommendations, funding has been set aside to continue to capacitate the existing Public Order Policing units. Members of this unit will be deployed in various provinces to stabilise crime in identified hotspot areas. Departmental spending over the medium-term will be in relation to the core programmes with visible policing taking more than 51% weight of the total of the budget. The programme detective services in terms of weight is also a significant portion of 20%.

 

Hon members, a comprehensive approach that is community family centred and anchored, while driven and led by government is the paramount remedy and solution towards the reduction of the gender-based violence and femicide, GBVF, horrific incidences. The country has made great strides in bringing awareness and waging a fearless war against GBV. Whilst the reality remains that on a daily basis, we are still awaken by news of another gender-based violence and femicide related incident, what is encouraging is the high impact joint response from the criminal justice system in bringing perpetrators to book. The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences, FCS, unit has been instrumental in securing heavy sentences for perpetrators in this regard. The most recent heavy sentence to mention, is the six life sentences handed down this week to a Zimbabwean born Eastern Cape man who slaughtered Nomzamo Mhlanti, the mother of five and her children including a six- month-old baby.

 

 

Progress must be acknowledged where government, especially law enforcement agencies are making a difference towards fighting this scourge. There have been significant arrests made that

 

involves pastors in places of worship, supervisors in the workplace, teachers in schools, family members, spouses, boyfriends and husbands. This must be applauded and highly publicised in order to reduce the number of reported cases going forward. The latest crime statistics has revealed Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape, followed by Inanda in KwaZulu- Natal and Thohoyandou in Limpopo as the rape hotspots. While the overall sexual offences have decreased by 3,9% in the last quarter of the financial year. The truth of the matter is that, one rape is one too many and we are calling upon all provincial commissioners to take lead in all operations aimed at addressing sexual offences and related crimes.

 

 

The department has allocated over R1,2 billion on baseline activities related to fighting GBV, both proactive and reactive responses to these crimes, and the resourcing of FCS Units: R1,1 billion on FCS units’ human and other resources that includes operational expenses; and R30 million on youth, children and vulnerable groups including awareness campaigns. An additional amount of R100 million was allocated to provinces for prioritisation of gender-based violence response

 

and the strengthening of FCS units. The amounts were allocated as follows: Western Cape, R13,3 million; Northern Cape,

R5,6 million; Free State, R7,9 million; Eastern Cape, R14,3 million; KwaZulu-Natal, R17 million; Mpumalanga,

R7,9 million; Limpopo R8,4 million; Gauteng, R17 million; and North West, R7 million. In response to capacitate the SAPS members to deal with GBV, 1 763 members across all provinces were trained on GBV related courses during 2020-21 financial year.

 

 

Hon members, last week we had a robust debate in the National Assembly discussing an emotional but imperative subject of the massive deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA, backlogs in the forensic science laboratories. We are equally concerned about the negative impact, this has on the court processes involving crimes against women and children and GBV related cases. Poor contract management, corruption and lack of leadership in the forensic science laboratory, FSL, environment have put the whole country under siege on such an important service delivery. It is on that score that I have called for an immediate national intervention and equally for drastic

 

consequence management in this regard. I have engaged the National Commissioner and his generals on this matters. To this end a new divisional commissioner has been appointed in this environment. Furthermore, in addressing the issues of capacity, a total of 127 scientists have been promoted to critical posts within the FSL. An additional 150 posts of forensic analysts at warrant officer level, have been advertised externally and the new incumbents will commence on duty by the 1 July 2021.

 

 

Chairperson, the intervention measures are critical and will be prioritised. To us the plight of the crisis goes beyond the figures of the massive backlogs that is reported. However, we go further and put ourselves in the shoes of ordinary South Africans who are solely relying on the DNA outcomes to find closure to the rape, murder and other heinous crimes suffered by their loved ones. To this end, the police will work tirelessly to address this challenge and bring the FSL environment back to full functionality within the period of 18 months. The following steps have been taken to reduce the specified backlog, in cases related to gender-based violence.

 

All forensic analysts underwent medical surveillance and vaccinations as required. Engagement with Labour was initiated to review the basic conditions of employment.

 

 

The bid for the procurement of a manual and semi-automated DNA processing system, for the Eastern Cape, was finalised and the contract was awarded. The bid to award all outstanding contracts, especially for consumables that are critical in addressing the DNA backlog is in process. A total of 15 contracts have been awarded according to the project plan.

 

 

Optimal utilisation of the Track and Trace System, which was implemented on 6 April 2021. More than 42 exhibits have been registered on the new system.

 

 

House Chairperson, for the past three years in a row I have been dedicating the Budget Vote to GBVF and crimes against women and children. This demonstrates the commitment in the SAPS of ensuring that GBV remains a priority crime. GBVF will continue to be a focus area with an additional emphasis on the capacitating of the FCS units. The gender-based violence and

 

sexual offences action plan includes the resourcing of the units at national and in provinces. As part of its oversight reach, the Civilian Secretariat of the Police Service regularly monitors and evaluates the implementation of GBV related policies and legislation by the SAPS. The dedicated GBVF desks is steadily becoming a reality in our top 30 sexual assaults stations. Currently, the SAPS has GBVF co-ordinators at station level who are overseeing all related matters. The proposal is to implement the GBVF desks in phases as follows: top 30 GBV hotspot areas, top 30 per province which are 270 of them and remainder of the stations. The Ministry will host a virtual dialogue with gender activists in the next coming week to harness ideas that can best address crimes against women.

 

 

Hon members, let me reiterate that improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the forensic science laboratories is top on our agenda. In the past week I have visited the laboratories in Cape Town and in Pretoria. Last year I visited the laboratory in KwaZulu-Natal, while outstanding is the Eastern Cape one. So far the outcome of the visits always brings better understanding of the environment as opposed to

 

the reading reports sent on paper. Let me also take the opportunity and acknowledge the continued oversight role of the Portfolio Committee on Police. They themselves have visited the laboratories and they have full appreciation of the challenges in the environment and how the SAPS leadership is planning to speedily address the backlogs and related deficiencies.

 

 

In this regard, a collaboration of the public-private partnership must be activated with private laboratories including laboratories in the institutions of higher learning to address this challenge. Once again feedback in this regard will be communicated in the due course. The significant role of the National Forensic Oversight and Ethics Board in bringing stability in the FSL is crucial. We therefore encourage the SAPS to reach out to the DNA board in resolving issues of common interest. We have confidence in the capable team of the DNA board led by Adv Nkosi-Thomas.

 

 

During the 2019-20 financial year, the recruitment of 7 000 new police trainees was approved. The posts were subsequently

 

advertised externally to cater for three streams of recruitment namely: Stream 1 is matriculants, currently serving public service and personnel in their training;  stream 2 is graduates in various fields to enhance the work of the police, and stream 3 is permanent enlistment of current serving reservists. The recruitment processes were at an advanced stage but unfortunately as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the intake had to be suspended due to the restrictions imposed which led to the suspension of all training interventions. The training plan for the enlistment of the 7 000 was reviewed and it was approved that the 7 000 will be enlisted in the 2020-21 financial year as follows, subject to the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions, 4 000 external applicants, and 3 000 current serving reservists to be appointed as permanent members.

 

 

During the 2020-21 financial year, the Covid-19 restrictions still persisted. However, SAPS was able to enlist 2 511 current serving reservists as permanent members. The 2 511 reservists enlisted were trained in the reservist training programme and were able to immediately be deployed to the

 

stations for operational duties and resulted in the capacitation of the police stations. In addition, the re- enlistment of ±500 previously employed police officials commenced during 2020 in order to strengthen capacity where specialised skills in the detection environment were identified. The 4 000 could unfortunately not be enlisted because of Covid.

 

 

Meanwhile, Cabinet approved additional funding in the 2020 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, for capacitation of the DPCI function, essentially to create the required skills for the investigation functions associated with the work of the Hawks. The funding framework will allow the additional personnel numbers that will strengthen the capacity of the cluster. The National Treasury introduced baseline reductions in the compensation of employees’ baseline allocations for the SAPS over the MTEF. These reductions are continuation of reductions introduced during 2020 which have material negative impact on the human resource priorities of the SAPS, essentially as far as the enlistment of entry level police officers are concerned.

 

As a result of this, personnel numbers over the medium-term will require reconsideration in terms of options that will ensure that the department continue to achieve its mandate and maintain service delivery at local level. During 2021-22 financial year it is envisaged that approximately 3 000 vacancies will be considered for filling by the recruitment of new police officers. A process will be embarked upon where Public Service Act personnel and current serving reservists will be considered for the recruitment as fully fledged police officials. Respectively, 2 000 Public Service Act personnel and 1 000 current serving reservists to be targeted. This initiative is part of various capabilities that the department is currently considering in order to remain within the budget framework allocated.

 

 

Furthermore, an action plan has been developed that aims to respond to the crimes related to gender-based violence, vulnerable groups and sexual offences. This plan also attends to the resourcing of FCS units both on national and provincial level. This response plan will also ensure that capacity in terms of personnel numbers be sustained and even increased

 

where critical vacancies and service delivery requirements are evident.

 

 

Hon members, the safety and security of any country is measured against its murder statistics amongst other violent crimes. When we release quarterly crime statistics, the murder rate always makes media headlines. Hence we have introduced a practice where provincial commissioners, meet with station commissioners on a weekly basis to measure station performance and account on crimes trends, in particular the murder cases per policing precinct. Furthermore, national intervention plans which involves crime combating and prevention operational deployment are activated to respond to the top 30 murder stations in order to address the stubborn murder trend and other violent crimes. The interventions to date includes the establishment of the antigang unit, introduction of Operation Thunder, the Base Camp approach, Operation Vala, Operation Lockdown, Operation O kae Molao and many others.

 

 

Moreover, national intervention deployments are heavily intensified in the Western Cape province which continuously

 

proves to be stubborn in reducing violent crimes. The SAPS continues to enhance police visibility through crime prevention operations to promote law and order in the high crime areas of the Western Cape especially the Metropolitan Cape Flats. The joint operations between police and the SA National Defence Force, SANDF, yielded positive results, though much still to be done. The negative impact of the environmental design on policing cannot be underestimated.

 

 

House Chairperson, it is a huge challenge to execute policing operations in areas where there are no physical addresses, no street lights, no access roads and many other challenges.

Equally an integrated approach and generic involvement of other departments and sectors of local government in eradicating crime contributors must be intensified. KwaZulu- Natal province also received national intervention deployment of additional police officers and vehicles to increase police visibility and crime prevention operations. The latest crime statistics revealed Plessislaer in Pietermaritzburg as a murder capital in the country, followed by Inanda and Umlazi which are also in KwaZulu-Natal. It goes without saying the

 

Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal and his team of station commanders must spend sleepless nights in turning around the situation. Furthermore, we call upon the SAPS top management to implement the top 30 stations turnaround plan informed by the Mpumalanga retreat resolutions. All lieutenant-generals who are provincial guardians must really do justice to this important responsibility.

 

 

I still repeat, policing is in provinces and not in the comfortable air conditioned offices in the headquarters of the police. I again call for consequence management, in this regard National Commissioner, when a station becomes a murder capital intervention at all stations must be implemented and if the results fail, then the provincial guardians, the provincial commissioner and the station must see their heads rolling.

 

 

Provinces with the highest incidence of reported crime, have been prioritised in terms of the allocation of baseline budgets. This will also ensure prioritisation and resourcing of the top 30 high contact crime stations in the country. An

 

additional amount of R62 million was allocated as follows: Western Cape was given R10 million; Northern Cape R4 million; Free State R4 million; Eastern Cape R10 million; Kwazulu-Natal R10 million; Mpumalanga R6 million; Limpopo R4 million; Gauteng R10 million; and North West R4 million. This is an extra on the baseline that they must also capacitate themselves. The overarching framework ... Thank you, House Chair. [Time expired.]

 

 

Ms T M JOEMAT-PETTERSON: Chairperson, I should like to thank the hon Minister and Deputy Minister, the honourable National Commissioner, hon Members of the House, all members of the security cluster, and our policemen and –women in particular.

 

 

Allow me to pay tribute to the late hon Jacqui Mofokeng, who was a dedicated and committed member of the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Police and who joined the committee with so much passion and so much gusto to ensure that there is safety for women and to fight gender-based violence. May her revolutionary soul rest in peace, and rise in glory.

 

We have formulated strategies and developed priorities that can and will enable us to lead all the people of South Africa to a country free of crime and corruption, and free of gender- based violence and femicide. All our people would like our young democracy to be a country in which there is respect for our laws, enforcement of our laws and justice for all. Our fight against crime and corruption in general and violent crime in particular is in keeping with the genuine aspiration of all our people.

 

 

A heavy responsibility rests on the shoulders of our Minister, our Deputy Minister and our National Commissioner. The portfolio committee has endeavoured to work with you, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, and to support you in this honourable fight in which you are doing very well.

 

 

What is of strategic importance for us in this Parliament, hon members, is the role of the Portfolio Committee of Police as we play not only our role in our oversight obligations which are constitutional, but also in defending the rights of our

 

people to live in peace and harmony and to live free from fear.

 

 

To achieve these goals, we must amend the current SA Police Service Act of 1995. The Act was drafted before the 1996 Constitution was adopted. The Act has to be amended and requires a full review and alignment with our Constitution. We cannot have an Act governing the police that is not in line with the highest law of our country.

 

 

The amendment of the SA Police Service Act is a key priority for the portfolio committee. If the national Minister and the committee can realise this, we would have done our people a great service.

 

 

Since the drafting of the SA Police Service Act Amendment Bill, South Africa has become a different country. There have been several policy shifts, court judgments and behavioural changes over the past 26 years.

 

The recommendations of the Farlam Commission into the events of Marikana ... Hon Minister, you appointed an international panel of experts to advise you, and we commend you for releasing this report.

 

 

The co-ordination between police service and municipal services needs to improve in terms of the concept of a single police service, and this is taken up and provided for in terms of section 1(20)(67) of the Constitution.

 

 

The SA Police Service Act of 1995 does not articulate the role of provincial governments and MECs clearly. Importantly, section 207(5) of the Constitution states that:

 

 

The provincial commissioner must report to provincial legislatures annually on policing in the province.

 

 

Furthermore, section 207(6) states that, if the provincial commissioner has lost the confidence of the provincial executive, the executive may institute appropriate proceedings

 

for the removal, transfer or disciplinary action against the commissioner, in accordance with the national legislature.

 

 

The SA Police Service Act Amendment Bill will thus have to reflect these imperatives of our Constitution. It will have far-reaching effects on policing in our country, and we welcome this step.

 

 

Numerous other problem areas must be addressed during the legislative process. One of the ... [Inaudible.] ... tasks is the adherence by police members to the provisions relating to gender-based violence and femicide. We will consider legislating more stringent measures that deal decisively with police officers who are found guilty of turning away a survivor of gender-based violence. This practice must end now.

 

 

The professionalisation of the service will also enjoy significant attention during the review process. The SA Police Service Act Amendment Bill has already been published and we urge hon members and members of the public to participate in

 

this debate. The Amendment Bill will be introduced in Parliament at the end of August this year.

 

 

I reiterate: if we can get this right, we will do our people a great service. We will get this right. We have no option to fail.

 

 

Last week, Cabinet approved the publication of the Firearms Amendment Bill of 2021 for public comment. The Bill proposes tighter controls and management of firearms, and the establishment of a national firearms registry. The changes will assist us to reduce the number of firearms in private hands and, consequently, reduce incidents of violent crime.

 

 

The Bill also improves the processing, control and application system for firearm licences. In 2018, the Constitutional Court made it clear that gun ownership is not a fundamental human right, but is a privilege regulated by law.

 

 

The two recent firearm amnesties were criticised for various reasons by various stakeholders. But the fact remains, hon

 

members, that we have succeeded during these amnesties to remove 149 726 firearms and 723 959 pieces of ammunition from circulation. This undoubtedly saved countless lives.

 

 

We must improve the way in which we manage and control firearms in South Africa.

 

 

Hon members, we agree that the Central Firearm Registry is in disarray. Since its establishment, the registry has arguably never functioned effectively. After countless interventions, the challenges remain unchanged.

 

 

The SAPS must fast-track the process to digitise firearm licencing in South Africa. We are lagging behind the rest of the world and we are in danger of missing the Fourth Industrial Revolution boat altogether. We are bogged down by outdated paper-based systems. There is possibly a small forest-worth of paper at the Central Firearms Registry!

 

It is encouraging that the committee visited the Central Firearms Registry. We will monitor the progress which will be made there.

 

 

It is encouraging that crime decreased by an overall 12,2%. Most crime categories show decreases, including contact crime, which decreased by 8,5%.

 

 

It is encouraging that all sub-categories of sexual offences showed an overall decrease of 3,9%.

 

 

Shooting sprees are on the rise in the Western Cape and in Cape Town. Gang violence is claiming the lives of innocent children and bystanders. This must be reduced and organised crime must be fought with all our might.

 

 

The recent shooting of protestors by Public Order police members raised serious concerns about the training of police personnel and the implementation of the panel of experts’ report of public order policing. The questions relating to use of ammunition and the management of crowds are addressed

 

throughout the report. The committee should also monitor the full implementation of the National Development Plan recommendations for policing, in respect of the management of crowds.

 

 

The full partnerships between the private sector and the SAPS as spearheaded by our President, will assist the police to address the backlog of DNA sample analysis, and improve the efficiency of the forensics science laboratories.

 

 

Professionalising SAPS to fight crime means that police stations need to be victim-friendly and maintained by the Department of Public Works. We saw at the Central Firearms Registry how catastrophic it is when Public Works does not maintain the sites where we deliver services.

 

 

We would not be fulfilling our mandate if we were to ignore these challenges. As the portfolio committee, we thank the Minister, the Deputy Minister, the National Commissioner and his team for their dedication and hard work.

 

I would like to thank the staff of the committee for their hard work. The ANC supports Budget Vote 28. Thank you.

 

 

Mr A G WHITFIELD: House Chairperson, hon members, the cries of defunding the police which echoed across the United States appear to have reached the ears of the ANC government, whose members are today lining up to support outrageous budget cuts to our frail and fading thin blue line. Criminals across South Africa today are celebrating at the news that the budget which the SA Police Service, SAPS, were hoping for is to be defunded by over R11 billion!

 

 

To understand the scale of the budget cut, we must understand: What we had; what we were promised; and what we ultimately received. In the previous financial year, we had R99 billion and in the medium term budget we were promised R108 billion for this financial year. This promised amount of R108 billion is important because it is the actual projected figure which government knows we really need for SAPS to meet their targets and reduce the increasing levels of crime in the country.

 

Instead of the budget we were promised, we have received R96 Billion in this financial year, which is R11 billion less than what we need, and in real terms is R3 billion less than what we had. That is 3 billion more reasons to feel unsafe in South Africa. Now, today, I will explain to this House how it is that the ANC is proposing to defund critical crime fighting budgets within the SAPS budget, thereby exposing ordinary South Africans to more violent crime, while cossetted ANC comrades continue to enjoy the very best protection from the SA Police Service.

 

 

In the year 2000, the VIP Protection budget was R138 million. Over the next ten years as the Cabinet grew, alongside its sense of self-importance, the VIP Protection budget grew to R530 million in 2010. Now, 11 years later, in 2021, it is sitting at a staggering R1,7 billion. Over the past 21 years the budget designed to protect only the elite - and nobody else - has increased by nearly 1 150%.

 

 

To further illustrate this perverse prioritisation of the ANC government, while the overall budget of SAPS has this year

 

decreased by 3,2%, the VIP protection budget has received yet another increase, albeit only by 1,56%!

 

 

While VIP Protection programme gets an additional R26 million in this year’s budget, it is Visible Policing programme which is the biggest loser, with its Crime Prevention subprogramme being cut by R3,8 billion. In Detective Services, it is the Crime Investigations subprogramme which suffers the most with a cut of R225 million.

 

 

So, to be clear, when cutting the SAPS budget it was decided, by the powers that be, to deal the biggest blow to the two biggest crime fighting sub programmes within SA Police Service, being crime prevention and crime investigations.

 

 

These are two of the most critical front line services which SAPS offers and defunding them will play right into the hands of the criminals. Together these actual crime fighting divisions account for a total cut of R4,1 billion while the so-called VIPs, like President Ramaphosa, will receive a fully funded uninterrupted service from SAPS’s highly trained VIP

 

Protection unit. Once again the ANC has prioritised VIPs over the people!

 

 

It is time to defund the VIPs and take power to the people by supporting community policing and reinforcing our frontline officers in our communities. The recent crime statistics revealed that rural communities continue to bear the brunt of poor police visibility in their areas. Farm murders and farm attacks increased during the last quarter; while two of the most rural provinces, KZN and the Eastern Cape, saw the largest spikes in violent crime, thereby exposing the complete failure of SAPS’s Rural Safety Plan.

 

 

There has been an increase in murder by 8,4% to almost 5 000 for the first three months of this year; while attempted murder increased by 8,7% to over 4 500. SA Police Service also seems to be to losing its battle against gender-based violence and femicide, GBVF, with the crime stats actually showing that 58% of gender-based violence, GBV, dockets have not been finalised for more than year.

 

To make matters worse, against this backdrop of violent crimes, thousands of law-abiding citizens are being held at ransom by a dysfunctional Central Firearms Registry, CFR, which is collapsing under the weight of an outdated system.

 

 

During the oversight visit to the CFR by the portfolio committee last week, it was revealed that: In the 2020-21 financial year, the CFR only received R30 million; and almost half of that money was spent on printing of licenses by the Government Printing Works.

 

 

Taking the firearm application process online from application to approval, by simplifying the onerous application requirements, SAPS could save a lot money, and their customers a lot of time and frustration.

 

 

Corruption within SAPS is alive and well and Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Ipid, remains critically under resourced to fulfil its mandate. By way of example, Ipid in the Eastern Cape has only one office against a requirement of five offices to service the province effectively.

 

The ideal staff complement for a province of this size is

 

71 officials and 54 investigators; but Ipid currently only has

 

24 officials and 13 investigators. Its case back log is well over 1 000 with cases stretching back two to three years. A culture of corruption within SAPS will continue to thrive as long as there is a culture of impunity supported by a lack of consequence management.

 

 

Rising rates of violent crime require drastic action and that is why the DA is proposing that the VIP Protection budget be slashed in half from R1,7 billion to R850 million. This saving should be redirected to visible policing through crime prevention and investigations, and to the Ipid, in order to keep our communities safe and our police officers honest.

 

 

This budget, in its current form, will place increased pressure on the many hardworking, honest and professional police officers, who are doing their very best under very difficult circumstances. The budget is a direct threat to the safety of South Africans and to SAPS members, and it can therefore not be supported. I thank you.Mr H A SHEMBENI:

 

Chairperson, South Africa has lost its fight against crime. The citizens have no one to turn to but themselves. The SA Police Service has become an integral part of the criminal network ravaging the nation. Minister Bheki Cele knows about this, and instead of tightening measures to fight crime, he is obsessed with feeding his inflated ego, and picks up unnecessary fights with the National Commissioner of Police and others. You cannot walk peacefully with your phone on the streets of Johannesburg because there are criminals everywhere, ready to snatch your phone away. The police know this, they know the criminals, and yet, they are doing nothing to deal with the crime.

 

 

In the streets of Cape Town, a parallel state is on the rise. Informal trades, small businesses, property owners in Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Delft and other townships are required to pay protection fees to criminal rackets who have taken over the running of the townships. The police know this, and are in many instances part and parcels of these criminal gangs terrorising our people. The recent death of over 13 young people in one weekend in Khayelistha is as a result of these

 

fights amongst criminals for the control of the protection fee industry. It will surprise no one in Khayelitsha when the police mess up this case and eventually release all those who have been arrested for these murders. Our people have become accustomed to living with their tormentors, rapists and murderers. The so-called antigang Unit meant to be fighting gangs in Cape Town has become such an important resource for the criminal underworld. These people, who are supposed to be fighting crime, are actually enabling criminal activity. It is for this reason that honest members of the SA Police Service are being killed.

 

 

Minister, you have no idea what needs to be done to deal with the hardening of criminal behaviour in Cape Town. It is a fight that you have long lost, and our people have to live with the terror of crime every day. You have also lost the fight against the scourge of gender-based violence. Your own statistics indicate that there were over 9 000 cases of rape between January and March this year. These are only reported cases. There are thousands more that did not get reported because many women have no confidence in the police. Even

 

those that got reported, only a few will lead to successful prosecution because of the shoddy investigative work done by the police.

 

 

By your own admission, your DNA laboratories are a mess, leading to thousands of cases that need DNA confirmation to be delayed, and to just disappear, leaving victims with perpetual scars. You are all bark, with no bite Mr Cele.

 

 

Just recently, the committee went to an oversight visit at the Central Firearms Registry. What we found there was a disaster of monumental proportions. The building is a disaster waiting to happen. There are files on the floor everywhere. The corruption on the issuing of firearms licenses is very high.

Added to this, as demonstrated by the Prinsloo case, it is the police themselves who fuel violent crimes in this country by selling off arms and ammunition to criminals. You have not dealt with this practice at the SA Police Service, SAPS.

 

 

Hon Minister, our country will lose her sovereignty to criminal elements all because of your incompetence and

 

unwillingness to clean out all the rotten elements at SAPS. Under your watch the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations has become toothless and has not initiated and concluded any investigation into the serious crimes of corruption over the past while. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is a mess. Your meddling on the matter involving the head of Crime Intelligence has given a serious knock to the ability of the police to gather crime information. In short, you have been a monumental disaster to the SA Police, and if you had any dignity left, you would resign as Police Minister, Mr Cele. We therefore, as the EFF reject this budget. Thank you, Chair.

 

 

Ms Z MAJOZI: Hon House Chairperson, can I be allowed not to switch on my video because we are experiencing load shedding and I am trying to save my connection. The pandemic has accented the role of SAPS of ensuring that government policy aimed at securing and protecting the people of this country is implemented.

 

The IFP remains concerned about the thinly stretched budget allocation for the critical agency beyond the pandemic. The IFP welcomes the more frequent reporting on crime statistics in the country, despite the worrying trends that were announced by the Minister of Police last week that the country’s murder rate continues to climb, despite the lockdown regulations, with murderers increasing exponentially across the nation.

 

 

The IFP urges the SAPS to investigate and take appropriate action in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, where the dramatic rise in killing has been recorded. Addressing the murder rare in general requires a more effective approach from all agents in our justice system. Regarding this, the IFP believes that improved collaboration between all official actors will mitigate violent crimes, including gender-based violence and femicide, and work on restoring public trust in our police services.

 

 

The IFP notes with concern the continued leadership issues

 

that are affecting the department’s ability to effectively

 

fulfil its mandate. There is a desperate need for corrupt officials at all levels to be visibly held accountable and to be removed from positon of influence. This is another factor of the public distrust in the police.

 

 

The IFP wishes to express its disappointment at the state of the Forensic Science Laboratory, which remains a source of discontent among victims of crime. The Forensic Science Laboratory is unable to efficiently deal with its backlogs, resulting in delayed justice for far too many victims of violence and other crimes. Further, these backlogs are testament to the poor resourcing of the SAPS and the agencies that support its work, all to the detriment of the South African people.

 

 

The appointment of the executive director has provided Ipid with an opportunity to regain lost ground and set the department right. That being said, the IFP supports the request for a report into why the process of appointment took almost two years, particularly for such a crucial leadership role.

 

The inadequate resources of Ipid is a serious concern that has been raised by Parliament over the years. This poor resourcing has hampered the effectiveness of Ipid and has led to a significant reduction in its geographic footprint, and numerous satellite offices across South Africa being forced to close. This means that there are less boots on the ground to hold SAPS officials accountable and more unethical and unprincipled misconduct of these officers. In one of the communities of White City, a members’ phone was taken away by one of the police officers from ... [Inaudible.] ... Police Station. That is unacceptable. Officers will operate with impunity in the face of misconduct. Ipid cannot be allowed to fail due to a lack of resources.

 

 

The IFP urges SAPS to use all its available resources to ensure that crime rates decrease, that Ipid can fulfil its mandate and so that the public can know that SAPS is capable of meeting its constitutional mandate to guarantee the safety and security of all who live in this country. The IFP supports the Budget Vote. Thank you.

 

Dr P J GROENEWALD: Hon House Chairperson, I want to refer to what the hon Minister said that the murder rate is an international indication of the performance of a country’s police services. He is quite correct, but with great respect, if you look at the murder rate in South Africa, where the world average is seven murders per 100 00o of the population, in South Africa, with the latest statistics, we talk about 36 murders per 100 000 of the population. That is not a good reflection on SAPS.

 

 

Furthermore, the people of South Africa feel unsafe and it is reflected if we look at the private security industry where there are now, according to the Private Security Industry Regulation Act, Sira, over 2,5 million registered security officers across the country, of which 556 000 are active. If you compare that with the police, the number of the police is currently approximately 145 000 police in terms of the Service Act members. It is because people feel unsafe.

 

 

We have an Amendment Bill on Firearms and it is openly said that the aim is to reduce private members to own firearms,

 

because of the lack of gun control and to say that we must reduce the murders. Firstly, I want to put it very clearly. In an official answer for the Minister, he admitted that more people are killed by sharp objects than by firearms. Who and where is real problem when it comes to fire arms? The Central Firearms Register, CFR, is the problem.

 

 

If you look at a report of the task team that the Minister of Police instigated in 2010, it found the following and I quote: “There is lack of understanding by the CFR of the value derived from effective management of information.” It then reports and it goes on to note that the following problems occurred in 2010: first, no single system on how to process and store information; second, duplicate computer systems to track, plan and evaluate the performance of the Central Firearms Register; third, IT systems don’t always speak to the requirements of the Firearms Act and the regulations; and lastly, IT systems are not used by staff and much of the work done by the CFR is done manually.

 

That is exactly where we are now, even worse. Don’t blame law- abiding firearms owners or the incompatibility and the incompetence of the Register.

 

 

Afrikaans:

 

Plaasmoorde wil die agb Minister nou in ’n nuwe kategorie plaas van aanranding van werkers en plaasbewoners deur boere en voormanne. Agb Minister, u moet verder gaan. U moet ook die kategorie insit van aanranding van werkers en plaasbewoners teenoor mekaar onderling, asook ’n kategorie van aanvalle en moord van boere en voormanne deur voormalige plaaswerkers en plaasbewoners. Dan sal u ’n volledige prentjie kry. Die boere sal dit verwelkom, maar daar word algemene stellings gemaak dat boere net hul werkers aanrand. Kom ons kry die statistiek, maar kom ons kry die volledige prentjie en ook die ander statistiek, want dan sal ons ’n volledige prenjie hê. Ek dank u.

 

 

The DEPUTY MINISTER OF POLICE: Hon Chair, Minister Cele, Ministers present, Deputy Ministers, chair of the committee and members of the portfolio committee, hon members, MECs

 

present here, the national commissioner, head of entities, distinguished guests, ladies, and gentlemen, thobela [greetings], I start with a quote:

 

 

And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain.

When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about – Haruki Murakami

 

 

Indeed. The year 2020 was a stormy year for all. Many lost loved ones due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and it resulted in devastating effects on employment and the economy. Unfortunately, we are still in the midst of the storm with Gauteng already grappling with this resurgence of the third wave and many other provinces are beginning to see a spike in new cases as well. But this too shall pass. If we all work together and adapt to all the COVID-19 protocols, we will weather the storm, certainly, we will come out different from

 

when we walked in. The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to a sudden shift in the dynamics of workforce behaviour.

 

 

More and more organisations had to rush towards working from home arrangements to curb the rapid spread of the pandemic. Most of us had to embrace technology as a new way of doing business. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the many frontline workers, such as health workers and the SA Police Service in particular. The outbreak saw the implementation of the lockdown rules, which inevitably impose added enforcement responsibilities for the SAPS. More police officers had to be deployed on the ground to enforce the law.

 

 

I believe we have, however, risen to the challenge and with adjustments and the level of refocusing are ready to tackle the year ahead. Let me, therefore, focus on today's subject matter, our priority for this financial year due to the time constraints I might not be able to touch on all the remaining areas, but I will try my best.

 

The scourge of gender-based violence and femicide continues to raise its ugly head in the country. The rate remains unacceptably high and as the SAPS family, we will continue to prioritise the efforts to fight against this pandemic. In addition to the specific interventions, as mentioned by the Minister, in this regard, we have also ensured that there are planned efforts and a focused budget to fight Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in all our programmes and those of our entities. Credible forensic evidence forms a critical backbone on the police service’s ability to properly investigate GBV and femicide cases and crime in general, to ensure the apprehension of the perpetrators, particularly the most violent in our society.

 

 

The country's Forensic Science Laboratory, FSL, underpinned by a properly administered National Forensic DNA Database is central to enhancing this investigative ability. However, due to a range of systematic challenges related to ineffective demand planning, coupled with poorly co-ordinated procurement processes, our forensic laboratories currently carry a DNA case backlog of about 109% of DNA and 87,8% for GBV and

 

femicide cases respectively. The low sample processing rate goes to the head of the challenge faced by their first FSL and that challenge translates to the victims of crime continuing to be denied justice.

 

 

This situation cannot be allowed to continue unabated. It is for this reason that the operational focus of the division over the short-to-medium term is to restore the stability and effectiveness of the FSL. The ultimate goal of these measures is to progressively eradicate the backlog. The recently developed turnaround plan of the division is a step in the right direction. There are also regular meetings under the stewardship of Deputy Minister Jeffery and myself aimed at ensuring the prioritisation and finalisation of the backlog cases. As part of the systems re-engineering process, the newly developed exhibit tracking system has gone live. This replaces the manual process recently utilised, allowing for better tracking and management of the exhibits. The system and processing enhancement must however be supported by clearly defined regulatory space.

 

It is for this reason that the DNA Regulations of 2015 were amended to allow for the establishment of a dedicated forensic investigative unit at the provincial level. These units are tasked with following up on investigative leads reported by the laboratory. Organisational development is currently finalising this process. The recent appointment of a new National Forensic Oversight and Ethics Board, chaired by Advocate Lindi Nkosi-Thomas will provide added expertise, expert advice and oversight over the implementation of the turnaround plan. The finalisation of the head of the division Lieutenant-General ... [Inaudible.] will also contribute towards ensuring that there is, at a leadership level, there are changes in that space. During the 2020-2021 financial year SAPS piloted the National Safer Cities project in identified cities to see law enforcement agencies integrating and maximising technology to fight crime more effectively. This project focuses far beyond the inner city and suburbs of the cities but stretches to the townships and rural communities through the Rural Safety Strategy, the traditional crime prevention program with the introduction of community-based mounted police, as well as the reserve police. The identified

 

cities for the pilot phase of the project are Durban, Gqeberha, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Rustenburg Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Witbank and Polokwane.

 

 

The pilot project in Durban saw R52 million from the SAPS and R6 million from the city's budget being ring-fenced for the implementation thereof. The finance workstream was established to compile and manage integrated budget by the officials from the municipality, metro, SA National Roads Agency, Sanral, MEC’s office and tourism. During this financial year, the pilot cities where we'll be assessed in terms of the project deliverables. The new cities will be identified for this initiative during this 2021-2022 spending priority by the SAPS. As part of our efforts to closely and effectively work with communities in fighting crime in our communities, the community in blue directives and reporting templates were developed for the implementation in all our provinces. Over

8 000 patrollers were recruited nationally. The goal is to intensify efforts to improve community policing, focusing on the mobilisation of the community in blue initiatives in order to improve visibility, particularly in high-crime areas.

 

With regard to the establishment of the detective academy, last year, we announced our orientation to establish an academy in order to enhance and improve the quality of our detection services. A benchmarking exercise was embarked on, but progress in this regard was stalled by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the project is still underway with significant progress being made. To this effect, we are improving the infrastructure at our Hammanskraal Police College to care for the detective academy and are currently improving the training manual and the initial phase of the project. We are also working with the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation in the mandatory process of the establishment of the SAPS Detective University. Amid the protracted crisis of which the end is generally unknown, the capacity to ensure strategic certainty and continuity is paramount to the fulfilment of our objective to build safer communities. The country's ability to recover from the post- COVID-19 undoubtedly also hinges on the creation of a conducive environment for growth and development underpinned by concerted efforts to tackle crime and corruption in particular. It is incorrect for hon Shembeni to say that the

 

Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, DPCI is useless and it has not been doing what it is supposed to do. It is open for everybody in the country who has eyes to see that progress has been made. The obsession with the Minister is completely unfounded.

 

 

The Minister has since inception been providing the necessary leadership to the South African police and should continue to do so. He mustn't be distracted by people who are not focused and who have got nothing to offer. It is also incorrect to say that South African police is engaged in a defunding program, which is misplaced. Thank you, Chair.

 

 

Rev K R J MESHOE: House Chairperson, the oversight visit by the Portfolio Committee on Police to the Central Firearms Register and the forensic science laboratory head office in Pretoria was eye opening. Members were shocked by the poor condition of the building housing the firearm register personnel. We all agreed that the police should be moved out of Veritas Building as soon as possible. We do not understand why Public Works has continually renewed the lease to that

 

building even when the National Commissioner has requested that the police be moved from the building.

 

 

The ACDP believes that the continual use of Veritas Building warrants an investigation as there is a smell pf corruption in the whole deal, as somebody might be benefiting illegally.

There was not a single we visited that did not have piles of papers in the passages and on the floors in offices that are still in use. The building has surely run out of space and there are no filing cabinets where important documents can be filed. What we saw was nothing but disaster waiting to happen. It is not surprising that individuals who have applied for the firearm licences are made to wait for two to three years before they get their licences.

 

 

The ACDP is totally opposed to reductions that saw visible policing and crime prevention budget losing out while the VIP protection budget was substantially increased. Why improve VIP protection while ordinary citizens are terrorised by criminals who even demand protection fees from them. Does government not

 

care for our people who live with fear of criminals waiting to pounce on them in almost every street corner.

 

 

The ACDP will not support such an uncaring budget. Recently, the Police Minister announced that the national backlog at forensic science laboratory stands at more than 208 000 Cases, of which more than 60 000 have not analysed. Of the total backlog, 36 625 are DNA related and 82 000 relates to gender- based violence and femicide. Victims of crime, particularly victims of rape, wait with bleeding hearts for DNA results to be used in courts to convict their violators so that they can find closure to their painful experiences. The main headline news in the Cape Times of 19 May 2021 was and I quote: “UN experts slams South Africa’s alarming scale of gender-based violence and femicide.” According to a United Nations, UN, Human Rights Committee, which found out that the country’s low levels of prosecution and conviction in domestic violence cases and the frequent failures by the police to serve and enforce protection orders expose survivors to repeated abusers and resulted in the violation of women’s fundamental rights.

 

The DNA backlog gives perpetrators the freedom to seek ... [Time expired.] Thank you, sir.

 

 

Ms L N MOSS: Hon House Chair, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon chairperson of the portfolio committee, hon commissioner and members of the House, ladies and gentlemen, South Africa has one of the highest levels of reports of sexual offences, more on physical rape in the world. Sexual offences most daunting challenges for the police and criminal justice ... [Inaudible.] Domestic violence, according to South African law includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, psychological abuse, economic abuse, intimidation, harassment, stalking and entry into the complainant’s residence without consent or any other controlling or abusive behaviour taking place in a domestic relationship.

 

 

Sexual abuse is one of the worst in this country. Crime statistics are as follows, sexual offences in the year 2020-21 is about 12133, the counts difference is -494, which amounts to -3,9%; rape cases in 2020-21 are 9518, the counts

 

difference is – 385, amounting to -0,9%. Sexual assaults cases in 2020-21 are 1910, the counts difference is -3, amounting to 0,2%; attempted sexual offences in 2020-21 were -433, counts difference is -64, amounting to -12,9%, contact sexual offences in 2020-21 were -272, counts difference is -40, amounting to – 12,8%.

 

 

Atlantis is part of my constituency in the Western Cape. I want share the incident with the House today. Atlantis, Pela and Mamelsbury are hotspots areas in ward 32 and ward 29. The perpetrators of sexual offences still continue to walk free in our communities. At Malmesbury a 46-year-old rugby coach arrested on 25 March 2020 for raping four girls and on 14 April 2020 he was released on bail with restrictions and the bail was worth R10 000. Enough is enough, don’t look away.

With regard to the DNA backlogs, the Forensic Science Laboratory, FSL, DNA analysis has been a source of major discontent amongst victims of crime. The FSL has not been able to effectively deal with its backlog or processing of the DNA samples as a result of the shortage of chemicals available to the FSL. The DNA backlog of cases stood at 117 738 cases. At

 

the last meeting between portfolio committee and the SA Police Service, SAPS, we noted that 4 000 gender-based violence cases at the FSL, only 130 were attended to. This was concerning and raised questions in regard to what plans does have the SAPS to address the backlog as gender-based violence are cases which must be prioritised and the SAPS should treat is as such.

Enough is enough!

 

 

There is progress in addressing the DNA backlog and the national Prosecuting Authority, NPA, will prioritise these cases. Form 1 April to 9 May 2021 there is a total of 1938 that were to be finalised. The incoming day-to-day cases has been a priority mainly during normal time. The approach will be driven and implemented in the roll-out to the provinces and regions. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Progress was made in relation to public and private partnerships with the assistance of the South African President. Working together we can do more.

 

 

The focus area should be donations of consumables, infrastructure development, donation and upgrading of rapid

 

DNA systems subject to adhere to National Treasury, relation and supply chain management practices. The President repeated his focus on ending gender-based violence as it is a key priority. The President continuously emphasised it is the priority of government to end gender-based violence in South Africa. He indicated that he has launched the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in April last year. Indeed, government has made efforts to strengthen the criminal justice system in the fight against gender-based violence. Government has also introduced three key legislations in Parliament last year to effectively intensified combating gender-based violence.

 

 

The President further stated that government is making progress – he announced that the government allocated approximately R12 billion to implement the various component of the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence on 2021-22 medium term. Gender-based violence in our country in the last year has been traumatising with acts of extreme violence perpetrated by men against women. The act of violence has threatened our very foundation of our democratic society

 

which is our commitment to human dignity, equality and non- sexist society.

 

 

There are 92 detected sexual offences court since 2013 and 11 of them will be open to provide comprehensive and appropriate support. There should be more of these ... [Time expired.] The ANC supports the budget.

 

 

The ACTING CHAIRPERSON (Ms R M M Lesoma): Thank you. My apologies for calling you sir earlier on.

 

 

Ms L N MOSS: Okay.

 

 

Mr S N AUGUST: Hon Chairperson, our challenge as lawmakers at oversight responsibilities, is to see the theory we translated into better lived experiences for our people. It isn’t rocket science. In the context of policing, the better lived experience we seek to relate to people’s safety. There are three events reported this week, that sound the alarm that we are missing the mark. Firstly, the United Nations published a

 

report stating that South Africa continues to fail victims of gender-based violence.

 

 

Secondly, human rights groups accused police stations in Delft and Mitchell’s Plain of failing to open rape dockets when sexual assault crimes are reported to them, and lastly, an alleged serial killer appeared before the High Court, sitting in Swellendam, charged with the murders of five women and a man in various country towns over a period of several years.

 

 

Community protestors outside court said the safety of people of colour didn’t appear to be a priority. Our people crave safety in their homes, on the streets and incorruptible police.

 

 

To them, it’s made no difference how police budgets has been allocated over the past year or 10, because they haven't experienced any difference in their lives. Will our budgetary discussions make a difference today? Chair, while solid budgetary processes are the foundations of clean governance, and it is important to know how many pens and toilet rolls are

 

required to service all our police stations, how will this spending lead to safer environments?

 

 

What can we do better with this money, starting immediately, to prioritise safety and security – while at the same time sending a loud and clear message to perpetrators that when they cross the line they are going to get caught? Where do we begin to incrementally restore communities’ faith in our police men and women, and their systems? How do we begin to re-imagine police stations as supportive havens where every customer is guaranteed professionalism, courtesy, compassion and dignity?

 

 

How will what we discuss here impact the next quarter’s crime statistics, when we know that past budgetary discussions have simply led to the same old, same old? Murder rates, sexual violence, gangsterism, illegal fire arms, drug abuse and theft, the numbers don’t ever seem to significantly change.

Perpetrators run rampant knowing they won’t get caught or, if they are, shoddy investigations give them a good chance of outfoxing prosecutors. Hon members, we need to revamp our

 

entire approach to policing and invest in crime prevention and community safety.

 

 

On the ground, our people should get the same quality of service from police, irrespective of they live in Manenberg, Orlando West or Sandton, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation or economic status. At policy level, the GOOD Party urges legislators to view the links between justice and crime with fresh eyes. ... [Interjections.] [Time expired.]

 

 

Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: House Chair, let me say from the onset that, the NFP will support the Budget Vote tabled here today. But let me start off by saying that, many political parties wherever they govern, must take responsibility for the state of high levels of crime in the country because, many of them or some of them, have had opportunities to improve the quality of life of the people, whether it is in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal or anywhere in the part of the country.

 

 

So, to come and give the entire responsibility to the entire

 

SA Police Services, SAPS, I don’t think that it is safe.

 

Whilst I must admit that there is crisis in the SA Police Services, but let us not forget the contributing factors, to the poor state of this country, particularly from the perspective of the high levels of crime in the country. Now, let me start off by first of all, congratulating and thanking the National Commissioner, for his intervention in KwaZulu- Natal.

 

 

Also, the Acting Provincial Commissioner, Gen Mark Mkhwanazi. He has been dealing with high levels of crime in KwaZulu- Natal, together with the Acting Commander of the Point Police Station, Kenneth Ngubane. This has already been yielding positive results, as five police officers are already going to be facing disciplinary action as a result of corruption and poor services to the people on the ground. So, I think that there are very good, committed and very passionate police officers in the SA Police Services and we must never paint them all with the same brush.

 

 

Having said that, and I know that the Minister is available here. Minister, I previously said in the debate of the budget

 

for SA Police Services that, whenever there is a cut in budget, it is definitely going to impact on how you deliver the services to the people, and we must not run away from that, and that is what is exactly happening right now. If we went and look at the firearms registry, one would see exactly what is happening. These poor police officers had to bear the brunt of criticism from the public.

 

 

But the fact of the matter is that, there is very little they actually can do about it, because of the limited resources that they have. The other thing is, like in Gauteng Province, they performed exceptionally well, particularly in the last quarter, but I think it is commendable for the work that they are doing. Also, I think that what we need is a commitment from all the different, relevant departments to come together, and deal with what are the root causes of the high levels of crime in South Africa.

 

 

Let us not just push a buck on the SA Police Services. They are coming after the fact. We must prevent these crimes from

 

being committed. The NFP - I know that my time is up - supports this Budget Vote. Thank you very much.

 

 

Ms S PATREIN: Hon Chair, the Budget Vote is presented just after a year President Cyril Ramaphosa closed a country for a full lockdown in the fight against the coronavirus. The COVID-

19 has the most devastating effect in the lives of the people in the recent times. Ever since the first diagnosis of the COVID-19 patients in South Africa, our lives have never been the same again. The virus always changes its variation, and that requires high level of vigilance from the doctors and medical practitioners and complete support from all people.

 

 

We are meeting today at the begging of the third wave of COVID-19 and we must all buckle up and prepare for the round and stand together to fight against this pandemic. Indeed, together we can do all. Every crisis presents an opportunity, reflect and regroup, and this virus has taught the importance of unity and cohesion in the fight against this invisible

enemy. The ANC in its strategy and document, clearly stipulate the importance of creating a safe and secure communities.

 

Further, this becomes one of the basic rights, as mentioned in Chapter 2 of the SA Constitution. A safe and secure community create safe space for economic activities to take place and that play a significant role in the economic recovery plan of the ANC. Hon Chairperson, the Civilian Secretariat for Police Services is the technical policy adviser to the Minister. In order to be more effective, we have to address the lack of trust in the police and improving police service delivery.

 

 

The following steps must be followed in order to restore the trust of the people in the police service. The need for a localised approach to addressing crime concerns; targeted implementation of the Provincial and Local Crime Prevention Frameworks and District Action Plans, in line with the District Development Model, DDM; the implementation of the 2016 White Paper on Safety and Security; improving detective service and forensics, as well as facilitating the modernisation of the SA Police Services, SAPS, through an e- Policing Policy.

 

Also, ensuring the implementation of a Partnership Strategy and Framework which seeks to mobilise key role-players and harness the social capital in communities by facilitating greater involvement of various community safety structures in the fight against crime. Hon Chair, we wish to welcome the priorities of the department for 2021-22 which will focus on the following priorities: Strengthening community participation in the fight against crime, by implementing crime prevention campaigns, hosting provincial imbizos and establishing additional community safety forums at the municipal level.

 

 

Drafting and promoting constitutionally sound legislation to give effect to government policies related to policing.

Regulating and monitoring compliance by the police service with relevant legal prescripts. In a nutshell, those are among other key issues that has been prioritised by the department. However, ... [Inaudible.] ... should pay more attention to intensify the working relations between the community police forums and the SAPS in the fight against crime.

 

Hon Chair, the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, PSIRA, is mandated to regulate the private security industry, and exercise control over the practice of the occupation of security providers in the public and national interest, as well as in the interest of the private security industry itself. The PSIRA has a responsibility to create a conducive environment to have a competent and stable security industry, which protect the interests of different stakeholders from public, private security and the state. All these stakeholders, their interests must be protected.

 

 

Hon Chair, we welcome this Budget Vote because this vote goes beyond just creating a safe environment, but it contributes to the economic recovery plan as we are faced with the economic recession and the department contribute through creating jobs in the private security companies. We strongly recommend that the budget should be accepted and welcomed so that the work of the department could continue smoothly, so that we are able to serve the people of the Republic of South Africa. The ANC supports the Budget Vote. I thank you

 

Maj Gen O S TERBLANCHE: Hon Chairperson and fellow South Africans, we are here again to consider another huge amount of money to promote the safety of South Africa. We have been here before, and know the script and the annual draw. New promises made by the President in his state of the nation address, the Ministerial priorities, South African Police Service, Saps, priorities, performance plan and target by both Independent Police Investigative Directorate, IPID, and the Civilian Secretariat. Impressive and very convincing paperwork, performance measurements — the whole lot. We have it all over again. The result is known; renewed hope by our citizens that the safer country of our dreams will emerge this time.

However, this optimism is short-lived. The latest crime stats beam out the reality; nothing has changed.

 

 

Afrikaans:

 

Suid-Afrika verdien beter. Die situasie is besig om te vererger. Op Vrydag, 14 Mei 2021, het Minister Cele die nuutste misdaadstatistiek bekend gemaak. Moord het vanaf 1 Januarie tot 30 Maart met 8,4% gestyg. Bykans 5 000 mense is vermoor. Wat ’n slagting! Hierdie syfer sou mense oor die

 

wêrel heen laat regop sit, selfs in oorlog- en in onrusgeteisterde gebiede, maar hier word dit maar net gelate aanvaar. Dit is mos maar net Suid-Afrika, en dit is mos maar wat hier by ons gebeur.

 

 

Dit is nie meer aanvaarbaar nie. Suid-Afrika verdien beter. Misdaad is steeds hoog. Daar is ander realiteite wat die SAPD verder strem om misdadigers suksesvol te vervolg en agter tralies te kry.

 

 

English:

 

This past weekend, the Portfolio Committee on Police paid an oversight visit to both the Central Firearms Register and the forensics laboratory in Tshwane. Conditions at the Central Firearms Register are really concerning. The unit is accommodated in a dilapidated building declared unfit for human occupation. The floors are not designed to carry the current load. The stacks of paperwork are far too heavy. The building must be vacated as a matter of urgency.

 

The backlog is dating back as far as February 2010 when the former Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s appointed task team made these same findings. It has worsened and cannot be resolved in a short-term. An interim solution is required to manage this mess and must urgently be pursued. It must be migrated to a computerised system. The forensic laboratory has a backlog of

103 644 DNA crime samples and 107 220 RI ... [Inaudible.] ... samples. That is a total of 210 864 samples 68 235 of them related to gender-based violence. The first phase of a new FEM system was implemented on 6 April 2021. Full implementation is scheduled for October 2022. An 18-month period is estimated as the best case scenario to finalise the backlog. The countdown starts from 1 July 2021. Justice for many victims of these crimes is still further delayed.

 

 

My colleague, Bobby Stevenson, the MPL for safety and security in the Eastern Cape issued a media statement on Friday 14 May 2021. He highlighted an alarming upwards trend in farm attacks and violent crime in that province. These attacks have almost doubled from last year over the same period to this year and may cripple the agricultural sector. The Saps rural safety

 

plan does not effectively prevent these crimes and attention is required to stabilise this important sector across the country.

 

 

The reintroduction of properly trained and equipped specialist unit to protect the rural communities is urgently required.

This problem manifest itself across the country. The Saps budget was also cut to fund the R10 billion South African Airways bailout. This grounded airline will most probably never fly again. What happened to our priorities? The Saps total budget allocation is R96,3 billion. Only the administrative budget grows by 1,6% while visible policing decrease by 7,2%. Crime prevention is key and should get a lion’s share of any budget. The Ministry got an allocation of R62,6 million — a sizeable amount compared with Home Affairs R30,5 million and Treasury’s R4,4 million. Why is this budget necessary? More personnel could have been appointed.

 

 

The Saps’s personnel are expected to decrease from 181 344 in 2021 to 162 944 in 2023-24 due to natural attrition. This will accelerate the department’s overall declining performance

 

trend over the past three financial years. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is severely underfunded, the Marikana Commission, the Khoza judgement and the Marikana Panel underlying this concern. Each ... [Inaudible.] ... role is undermined and therefore cannot fulfil its mandate. The Civilian Secretariat is underperforming at the moment. Its role and functions must be revisited to determine the way forward.

 

 

The President is urged to deal with the conflict between the Minister and the National Commissioner. They must focus on their roles and responsibilities. The department’s credibility and performance are at stake. It is time to up your game, Mr Minister, South Africa deserves better. The DA does not support this Budget Vote. I thank.

 

 

Ms N P PEACOCK: Thank you, hon House Chairperson, hon members of the House, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, hon chair of the portfolio committee, National Commissioner, all members of the Security Cluster, our policemen and women in particular.

 

The SA Police, SAP, was established in 1913 after the establishment of the Union of South Africa, under the Defence Act, 1913, the SAP played a significant role in national defence, and with the enactment of the Police Act, 1958, the relationship between the police and the military strengthened. The police became heavily armed to suppress civil unrest and were allowed to conduct counterinsurgency operations.

Subsequent that, the legislative amendments further broadened the mandate of the police far beyond conventional policing functions. The police struck fear into our people and were just another arm of the apartheid government. The police were brutal.

 

 

With the advent of democracy in 1994, the Constitution established a single national police service under the control of the National Commissioner. The then homelands policing agencies were amalgamated with the SAP to form the current South African Police Service, SAPS, to serve and protect all citizens. Sadly, the remnants of the old brutality are still seen today and must be addressed. Our people are becoming fearful and distrustful towards the police. We need to work on

 

how best we can improve the trust within our police. We must not allow the police to be perceived as brutal.

 

 

Hon Chairperson, earlier this year, the Portfolio Committee on Police had an engagement with the South African Human Rights Commission, SAHRC, on the torture and ill treatment of persons in police custody in the Western Cape. The facts presented by the Human Rights Commission, shocked us. It is profound to be told that minors are still kept in custody with adults, that women are strip-searched at shelters by private security and that holdings cells are in a state of disrepair. The Human Rights Commission is inundated by complaints from victims of sexual offences of police officers refusing to open cases of rape and other sexual offences. This must be addressed if we are serious about combating gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.

 

 

Hon House Chairperson, Gauteng has managed to achieve remarkable successes in the fight against crime. In conjunction with the Metro Police Departments, as well as the Provincial Department of Community Safety, they developed:

 

“The Growing Gauteng Together,” which is was a five-year policing plan. This is an integrated plan developed by the provincial executive council and operationalised through Operation O Kae Molao. This is best practice in crime combatting initiatives and all other provinces must match all such initiative.

 

 

The effectiveness of the Growing Gauteng Together policing plan is evident from Gauteng’s crime statistics. Between January and March 2021, contact crime decreased with 9,9% and community reported serious crimes decreased with 14,6%. During this period, Gauteng had 12 police stations in the top 30 stations contributing to crime, which is an improvement from the previous financial year. Inner city crime has also decreased significantly, with that of Hillbrow decreasing with 26,6% between January and March 2021.

 

 

Hon House Chairperson, what we saw this past weekend at the Veritas building in Pretoria is completely unacceptable. We cannot expect our police officers to work in such circumstances. The building has been disqualified for human

 

occupation, yet the SAPS is continuously forced to occupy that building. Who benefits when the lease agreement is continuously renewed despite the building being in disrepair or unfit? It is definitely not to the benefit of the police who are forced to work there. It is not a healthy work environment. To be confronted with those mountains of papers each and every day, must weigh heavily on their minds. This relationship between the Department of Public Works and the owner of Veritas building must be investigated.

 

 

Hon House Chairperson, we appeal to Ministers of Police and Public Works to rescue our policemen and -women working at the Central Firearm Registry and offer them decent office accommodation. Further, we need to build more police stations to redress the spatial inequality inherited from apartheid. We need effective partnerships with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to bring policing services closer to the people. The committee recommends that the police consider the request for police stations in the Bethelsdorp, Makapanstad, Ga-Moeka community, as well as other communities

 

that are forced to walk long distances to get the police services they deserve.

 

 

Hon House Chairperson and hon members, the ANC supports measures to ensure the effectiveness and independence of police oversight mechanisms. We have always noted that we want an Independent Police Investigative Directorate, IPID. One of the questions that we must pose and answer is to what extent does our people have confidence in our police service.

 

 

Since the appointment of Ms Jennifer Ntlatseng as the executive director of the IPID, we have seen significant strides to strengthen the effectiveness of the directorate. Her appointment has brought much-needed fresh air to the IPID.

 

 

We congratulate the directorate for implementing section 23 of the IPID Act, which will aid the directorate in its staff retention and provide much-needed parity between its investigators and police detectives. During the 2021-22 financial year, the IPID will implement innovative strategies relating to gender-based violence and femicide, GBFV, youth

 

development and rural awareness. The ANC gives its unwavering support to Ms Ntlatseng and her team to achieve a clean audit in the 2020-21 financial year.

 

 

Hon House Chairperson and hon members, we thank the Minister and his team for their hard work to combat crime and create safer communities. With that note, the ANC supports Votes 24 and 28. I thank you.

 

 

The MINISTER OF POLICE: Chairperson, I have listened to several members who came with solutions except who are just obsessed with other things. Unfortunately, Mr Shembeni and Ms Tereblanche were both in the police service. They should have done better when they were there instead of them shouting from the higher mountain now, when they did not do anything to improve the organisation we are working hard for.

 

 

We work with the commissioner and definitely we don’t drink coffee together but we wake up in the morning and we know we have a job. So, they must just hold their horses and allow the President to do his work while we continue to do our work.

 

Chairperson and hon members, allow me to once again conclude this budget vote by reaching out to the women and men in blue all over the country and to all the employees in the entities under the Ministry of Police. To them we say, let us continue to render the selfless service to the nation. As Denis E Waitley narrates and I quote:

 

 

Don’t dwell on what went wrong, instead focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward towards finding the answer.

 

 

This is exactly what we are doing and I now present to you the South African Police Budget Vote 28 in this financial year to an amount R96,3 billion and then we go to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, IPID, Vote 24 R348 billion, Civilian Secretariat for Police Service, 148,961 million.

Lastly, may I take this opportunity to thank the Deputy Minister of Police, members of the portfolio committee, National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, management, the chief of staff, staff members and Mr Rapiya, the executive of IPID Dikeledi and her team, the chief

 

executive officer, CEO, of Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, PSIRA, Mr Chauke and the National Head of Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, DPCI, Godfrey Lebeya, DPCI Judge, the Chairperson of the DNA board Adv Lindiwe Nkosi-Thomas and her team, Chairperson of the Firearm Appeal board, Adv Lungelwa Shandu, the PSIRA board and Chairperson of the PSIRA Board, Dr Leah Mofomme and finally my family especially my wife who keeps me going and saves me from insanity.

 

 

Debate concluded

 

 

The mini-plenary rose at 15:56.

 

 

 

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