ATC220317: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Police on its oversight visit to the Norwood and Tembisa Police Stations (Gauteng Province) on 04 and 05 March 2022, dated 16 March 2022

Police

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Police on its oversight visit to the Norwood and Tembisa Police Stations (Gauteng Province) on 04 and 05 March 2022, dated 16 March 2022.

Introduction

The Portfolio Committee on Police conducted an oversight visit to the Gauteng Province on 04 and 05 March 2022 to assess service delivery at the Norwood and Tembisa Police Stations.

Purpose of the visit

The oversight visit provided Members of the Committee first-hand information on the quality of policing service delivery at the Norwood and Tembisa Police Stations. One of the focus areas of the visit to the Norwood Police Station was the theft of firearms from the SAPS 13 (Evidence) Store.  

Delegation

The delegation comprised of the following Members and support staff:

Members of the Committee

The following Members attended the oversight visit:

Hon. Joemat-Pettersson (Chairperson) (ANC)
Hon. Seabi (ANC)
Hon. Peacock (ANC)
Hon. Moss (ANC)
Hon. Shembeni (EFF)
Hon. Terblanche (DA)
Hon. Dr Groenewald (FF+)
Hon. Z Majozi (IFP)

Apologies

Hon.  Molekwa (ANC)
Hon. Patrein (ANC)
Hon. Whitfiled (DA)
Hon. Meshoe (ACDP)
Hon. Shaik-Emam (NFP)

 

Support staff

The following support staff attended the oversight:
Ms Mbengo: Committee Secretary
Ms van Zyl-Gous: Acting Content Advisor and Committee Researcher
Ms Sihawu: Executive Secretary to the Chairperson

Gauteng provincial overview and Norwood Police Station

The Portfolio Committee on Police was hosted at the Patterson Park Community Centre to receive presentation and for committee engagements before moving to the Norwood Police Station for a site inspection.

Presentations

The Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng presented the following information:

Gauteng provincial profile, including geographic, infrastructure, human resources and vehicle fleet;

Gauteng crime overview;

Growing Gauteng Together (GGT) Five-year Plan;

Challenges; and

Recommendations.  

 

The Acting Station Commander of the Norwood Police Station presented the following information:  

Station Overview / Profile, including General Profile, Infrastructure, Stakeholders, Human Resources and Vehicle Fleet

Background to Firearm situation

Measures Implemented to address areas of concern

Crime Overview

Interventions to Address Crime

Community Policing

Challenges

Recommendations.

 

The Chairperson of the Norwood Community Police Forum (CPF) presented the following information:

Specific areas of concerns for each of the four sectors

General areas of concern

Recommendations

Crime prevention partnerships

Current status.

 

Note: The presentations can be obtained from the Committee Secretary on request.

 

Community representatives were afforded an opportunity to raise community concerns. Mr Nawato representing Operation Dudula indicated that the CPF is not visible in the area and that the SAPS Youth Desk must be relaunched as it is not operational. He further raised concern about local businesses flaunting labour legislation by employing foreign nationals. Mr Yani indicated that he has written to the Portfolio Committee on Police previously (2016) to highlight various concerns and thanked the Committee for their visit in the Norwood area. Mr Yani urged the Committee to request the most recent oversight visit report of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to see their observations and recommendations. He jokingly referred to the SAPS M6, meaning that the surnames of the top six SAPS management officers start with the letter M and requested the Committee to support the Provincial Commissioner and Management Team. In conclusion, Mr Yani made allegations of racism against the Station Commander of Yeoville.   

Committee deliberations

The Committee highlighted the following concerns during deliberations:  

The Committee referred to the Report of the Expert Panel into the July 2021 Unrest and the Human Rights Commission’s inquiry into the unrest, with specific emphasis on the role of private security companies. The interface between the SAPS, CPFs and private security must be improved and the Committee will consider legislating this interface when considering the SAPS Amendment Bill once tabled in Parliament.

The Committee questioned whether any police members attached to the Norwood Police Station have been investigated for possible involvement in criminality. The Acting Station Commander indicated that in relation to the firearms theft, a criminal case was opened. In general, there is no known member colluding with criminals.

The Committee expressed significant concern about the high number of liquor outlets (including shebeens) in the Norwood area. The Committee questioned the role of the Gauteng Liquor Board and indicated that the Board should approve less liquor outlets in the area. The SAPS indicated that the number of inspectors to check compliance of liquor outlets are wholly insufficient, which is a major challenge. The SAPS further stated that the transfer of shebeen permits to different locations pose a significant challenge to the effective combatting of infringements. The SAPS indicated that they have, on numerous occasions, invited inspectors and the Gauteng Liquor Board to ‘piggy-back’ on SAPS operations targeting illegal liquor outlets.  

  The Committee expressed concern about the general lack of proposed solutions from presenters. The Committee requested specific areas where Parliament can assist the SAPS and community. The SAPS appreciated the offer and indicated that solutions should be accompanying challenges. A specific area of concern was raised around infrastructure and the lack of a coordinated approach from various government departments to address social ills and challenges that affect crime in the area.

The Provincial Commissioner indicated that significant challenges are experienced with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and municipalities on the lack of maintenance of police stations. Many station buildings across the province are owned by municipalities that are responsible for the maintenance of these buildings. However, this is not a priority of the municipalities (or DPWI), which leads to police stations falling into a state of disrepair. In relation to DPWI, the SAPS does not have sufficient office accommodation to effectively execute their policing mandate. A specific example was made of the Florida Detective Branch that does not have office accommodation.  

The Committee noted that policing in the Gauteng province is normally well functioning and questioned what went wrong with the theft of firearms from the Norwood Police Station, especially that the province had to be notified from outside about the theft. The Provincial Commissioner acknowledged this point and indicated that it is an indictment on the province.

The Committee expressed concern about the lack of a definitive number on the firearms that were stolen from the Norwood Police Station. The SAPS indicated that the investigation and audit are still ongoing and that progress will be reported soonest. The Committee questioned what number of firearms stolen from the Norwood police station were amnesty firearms and meant for destruction and requested clarity on when the last firearm destruction took place. The SAPS indicated that 41 amnesty firearms were found in the SAPS 13 store, but that some of the firearms have pending licence applications and as such cannot be destroyed. The last destruction of firearms was in 2019.

The Committee requested clarity on Operation Dudula. It was explained that Operation Dudula is a community initiative and focussed on crime prevention in the surrounding areas across the province. One of the focus areas of the Operation is on illegal foreigners. A representative from the Operation was provided an opportunity to address the Committee on specific concerns (please see section 4.1 above). The Committee invited the public to contact Parliament via the contact details provided on the Parliamentary website.

The Committee questioned whether the Provincial Commissioner ordered a provincial wide audit of all SAPS 13 Stores in Gauteng. The Provincial Commissioner indicated that the SAPS has developed a plan of action to execute a provincial wide audit and that this plan was approved by the Provincial Management.  

The Committee highlighted the fact that common assault should be taken more seriously, as this category often escalates into more serious crimes such as assault with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm, attempted murder and murder. The SAPS acknowledged this point and assured the Committee that these incidents are taken seriously. The SAPS stated that common assault, assault GBH and aggravated robbery contributes the most to crime in the Gauteng province.

The Committee questioned when a permanent Station Commander will be appointed at the Norwood Police Station. The Provincial Commissioner indicated that the appointment will be done shortly after the recruitment process was concluded.

The Executive Director of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) invited members of the public that raised allegations of police misconduct to contact her directly. The representative from the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service highlighted the importance of all levels of quality assurance and inspections. The regular rotation of police officers was also highlighted as a significant concern that needs to be addressed.

In conclusion, the Committee highlighted the importance of the link between the Central Firearm Register (CFR) and firearm amnesties and indicated that the Committee will continue its focus on the management of firearms.

 

Site visit

The Committee visited the SAPS 13 Store at the Norwood Police Station. The Committee noted that the evidence store is located at the lower-ground level of the station and is built in a safe, thus constituting a strong room. The Committee observed that the firearm theft must have been an ‘inside job’ as it was clear that firearms could not have been stolen from the evidence store without anybody noticing.

 

Tembisa Police Station

The Portfolio Committee on Police was hosted in the Apostolic Gospel Church International to receive presentation and committee engagements before moving to the Tembisa Police Station for a site inspection.

As an opening remark, the Chairperson explained the reasons for selecting Norwood and Tembisa Police Stations for oversight. The selection was based on the shared characteristics of the Tembisa Police Station with surrounding areas, such as Yeoville and Ivory Park. The Committee expressed consensus on the fact that Gauteng is one of the most well run provinces in South Africa. The Chairperson gave Committee Members and members of the public the opportunity to introduce themselves.

 

Presentations  

As an introduction, the Provincial Commissioner gave a short overview of the Tembisa area. He highlighted the similarities between Tembisa and surrounding areas in terms of station profiles. He indicated that the Tembisa Police Station ranks high in the national and provincial Top 30 Police Stations based on the weight contribution to overall crime. He highlighted the significant number of liquor outlets in the area (197 outlets) and explained that Tembisa is a different place during the day as opposed to evenings, in that substance abuse becomes rife during evenings, which poses a significant threat to police members attending to crime complaints.

The Provincial Commissioner further highlighted the high number of doctor surgeries in the area (83 surgeries) and that this leads to a high number of robbery. He further stated challenges with the so-called Polo Boys, a gang affecting the area and that many suspects arrested for crimes like carjacking in other areas, are from Tembisa. The Provincial Commissioner indicated that various sectors such as the Winnie Mandela Zone, are more problematic compared to others.        

The Station Commander of the Tembisa Police Station presented the following information to the Portfolio Committee on Police: 

Station Overview / Profile, including General Profile, Infrastructure, Stakeholders, Human Resources and Vehicle Fleet

Crime Overview

Interventions to Address Crime

Successes

Community Policing

Challenges

Recommendations.

 

The Chairperson of the Tembisa Community Police Forum (CPF) presented the following information: 

Sector Crime Forum Chairpersons

Community Safety Plan Projects

Communication Plan

Challenges

Remarks and comments.

 

Note: The presentations can be obtained from the Committee Secretary on request.

 

Committee deliberations

 

The Committee highlighted the following concerns during deliberations: 

 

The Committee stated that Tembisa is the second biggest township in South Africa and that Soweto, which is the largest, does not feature on the Top 30 Police Stations contributing to overall crime in South Africa. The Committee requested an explanation on this. SAPS explained that although the area is not in the Top 30 nationally, it is on the Top 40 list provincially. 

 

The Committee questioned whether any investigations are ongoing relating to crimes involving police officers attached to the Tembisa Police Station moonlighting as criminals. The SAPS assured the Committee that no police officers at Tembisa are involved in crime and the Crime Intelligence Division is conducting checks continuously. 

 

The Committee raised significant concern about the fact that government departments are working in isolation from each other which contributes to ineffective policing. This is specifically in terms of environmental design, such as street lighting, street names and house numbers. The Committee highlighted the need for increased focus on development and implementation of effective Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) to consider issues such as spatial planning, disaster management and economic development.  

 

The Committee noted the fact that Tembisa is identified as a GBVF hot spot. The Committee questioned why it is still a hot spot when sexual offences are decreasing. The Committee raised fears that the reporting of sexual offences is decreasing because the community has lost faith in the SAPS. The Committee further stated that GBVF cannot be addressed by the SAPS alone but need assistance from the Department of Social Development specifically in terms of moral regeneration programmes.  

 

Similar to the Norwood area, the Committee raised significant concern about the high number of liquor outlets in the area and questioned the role of the Gauteng Liquor Board.  

 

The Committee indicated that the Five-year GGT Plan is too broad, which makes it impossible to implement. The Committee also raised concern about the lack of clear timeframes in the GGT Plan.

  

The Committee highlighted the difference between reactive and proactive policing. The Committee expressed concern that police members are no longer policing, but have become mere administrators. In this regard the Committee requested the Station Commander to indicate the number of Visible Policing members deployed per shift. In terms of reactive policing, the Committee requested the detection and conviction rates of the Tembisa Police Station.  The Station Commissioner indicated that the Detection Rate at the Tembisa Police Station is 38% and the Conviction Rate is 36%, which is significantly low. The Station Commander indicated that Detectives carry between 140 to 150 dockets each. The Tembisa Police Station has a total of 5 849 dockets in court. The SAPS had engagements with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to address the backlog in case dockets finalised in court.   

 

The Committee requested information on the number of reservists at the Tembisa Police Station. The Station Commander indicated that the station has three reservists of which one reservist is attached to Visible Policing and the rest attached to the Community Service Centre.  

 

Site visit

 

The Committee visited the SAPS 13 Sore, Victim Friendly Room (VFR) and the detention cells at the Tembisa Police Station. The Committee noted that the SAPS 13 Store was well organised and that there is a clear filing system in place. The Committee noted a stark difference between the SAPS 13 Store at the Norwood Police Station and that of the Tembisa Police Station. The Committee noted that the VFR is well-resourced and large in comparison to other VFRs that Committee Members have seen in the past. The detention cells were not in use as it is in a state of disrepair and not maintained by the owner of the building which is the Ekurhuleni municipality.

 

Recommendations and information request

 

Recommendations

 

The Committee recommends the following:

 

The Committee recommends that provincial stakeholders such as the Community Policing Forums, Metro Police, the Department of Social Development and the SAPS should collaborate in efforts to deal with the challenge of substance abuse.

The Committee recommends that the SAPS must focus on intelligence-led policing to ensure that acts of crime are pre-empted.

The Committee recommends that Operation Okae Molao should be strengthened.

The Committee recommends that the SAPS should provide quarterly update reports on progress made in relation to the investigation of the firearms theft from the Norwood Police Stations.

The Committee recommends that operations aimed at retrieving the stolen Norwood firearms must be intensified to prevent them from being used in committing crimes in the country. The Committee further recommends that all law enforcement agencies must collaborate with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) in order to speedily finalise investigations.

The Committee recommends that the SAPS should provide quarterly update reports on progress made in addressing high crime rates reported in the Tembisa Police Station.

The Committee recommends that the SAPS conduct a countrywide audit of all SAPS 13 stores to ensure that no firearms were stolen from other evidence stores.   

The Committee recommends that the ownership of municipal buildings, that is used as police stations, should be transferred to the SAPS.

The Committee recommends that the Ekurhuleni Municipalities must prioritise the maintenance of buildings being used by the SAPS.

The Committee recommends that the Minister of Police engage with his counterpart in the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure to address the serious challenges relating to office accommodation of the SAPS.

The Committee recommends that the Gauteng Liquor Board should review its processes for issuing licences for taverns and shebeens primarily because substance abuse is one of the causal factors to the high crime rate in the Tembisa and Norwood areas. 

The Committee recommends that the Minister of Police should engage his counterpart in the Department of Trade and Industry to urgently amend the Liquor Act, 2003 (No. 59 of 2003) and its associated regulations to specifically limit the number of liquor outlets and the transfer of licences between different premises. 

The Committee recommends that the number of Liquor Inspectors must be increased to ensure compliance to liquor licensing conditions and investigate complaints relating to liquor licencing.  

The Committee recommends that Provincial Liquor Boards and the Department of Home Affairs should accompany the Committee on future oversight visits to address specific concerns relating to the approval of liquor licenses and illegal foreigners in specific areas. 

 

 

Information requested

 

The Committee requested the following information:

The SAPS should provide a comprehensive list of all police stations and buildings owned by the Ekurhuleni municipality. The list should highlight the buildings that are not maintained by the municipality. The SAPS is requested to submit the list by 25 March 2022.

 

Conclusion

 

The Chairperson thanked the Gauteng SAPS Management for the fruitful engagements and their hospitality during the oversight visit. The Chairperson indicated that future oversight visits by the Portfolio Committee on Police will included a tour of the community to access the street lighting and associated environmental factors. The Chairperson indicated that while station visits are extremely important and useful, crime challenges lie within the communities and not at police stations. The Chairperson reiterated that the Committee will keep its focus on progress made at the Norwood and Tembisa Police Stations. Going forward, the challenges posed by the high number of liquor outlets in policing areas will be a key focus and engagements with the National Liquor Authority will be prioritised.   

 

 

The Economic Freedom Fighters and the Democratic Alliances reserved their right with respect to the report.

 

 

Report to be considered.