___________________
(Second
The
SPEAKER: The hon MEC for Safety
and Security, Mr Mokitlane, will now address the House.
Mr
M C MOKITLANE (MEC): Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Premier, hon Members,
Members of the Management of the South African Police Service in the
Before I begin with what
I want to say today, I want to...
The
DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry, hon Member, there is a disturbance in
the House. I thought educationists would
also understand that the Debate on Safety and Security is equally important -
not only the Debate on Education. [Inaudible] [Laughter]
I think it should be
brought to the attention of the Head of the Department and the hon MEC that the
Debate should not only be on Education and they then leave the House when
another Debate ensues.
I think next time we will
make sure that Education is the last one.
[Laughter] Thank you. The House is silent now and you can continue.
Mr
M C MOKITLANE (MEC): Deputy Speaker, I want to agree that it would
have been important for members of the community to remain in the gallery,
because crime is a government priority as much as education is a priority. We know of the expenses that Government
incurs to try and combat crime in the country.
However, we will continue
with the effort of actually bringing that to the attention of the House. I just wanted to say that I decided this
morning to dress in the colours of the police so as to ensure that nobody
accuses me of an identity crisis.
[Laughter]
I also want to say that I
had the opportunity to meet the entire management this morning, who presented
an implementation plan to me as the MEC for Safety and Security.
I also want to say that
there will be an event on
However, on that date
there will also be a march and a parade by the police to convey the message to
communities that indeed, we are there, do not worry, we are dealing heavy blows
to criminal activities in the Province.
I think a special invitation should go to the Opposition parties. They should actually be part of that. I believe that crime is a collective
issue. All of us need to fight it,
irrespective of political affiliation.
Having
said that, may I say that for societies to live up to their full potential and
enjoyment of life, security from any form of fear is essential. Crime, of whatever form and nature, threatens
that security. A country such as ours,
that has a history and a legacy of no respect for either the rule of law or
human dignity, provided fertile ground for criminality to take root and become
endemic in our society.
It is a history in which
State organs were used as instruments to perpetuate and instill fear into the
hearts and minds of the vast majority of our people. The establishment of secretariats is and
remains an endeavour to ensure that the police shall never again be used as an
enemy of the people!
The vision of the
Department is:
A people-centered Police Service
and a safer environment in the
This is an
affirmation of that endeavour. The
Constitution [108/1996] enjoins us to act as a civilian oversight to the SAPS
to oversee their effectiveness and efficiency while also promoting good
relations between the police and communities.
When I took over as the
MEC for Safety and Security, I continued with existing programmes and work that
my predecessors had started. I also
evaluated the performance and direction of the Department against its stated
objectives.
One of the shortcomings
identified in the pursuit of our mandate, is serious budgetary constraints and
a lack of capacity. The present
allocation made to the Department is, in real terms, the exact amount spent by
the Department in the 1998/99 financial year and is also projected for the
1999/2000 financial year. We therefore
need to be creative in order to do more with less if we are to meet the
challenges facing us.
Personnel Expenditure
One of the critical
issues to be addressed is personnel expenditure that still accounts for more
than 90% of our total expenditure. The
previous personnel expenditure however, reflects a decrease of almost 2%. This unsavoury state of affairs is being
urgently addressed by, among others, a process to identify and retire personnel
at the pensionable age of 65.
Key strategic issues that
emanated from strategic sessions that the Department held in October last year
and early this year were identified. The
structure of the Department was realigned to meet these challenges.
Departmental Turn-around Strategy
The Sub-Directorate on
Security Administration was, after close inspection, found to be in shambles.
While it accounts for the
bulk of our expenditure, its output has been far from satisfactory. The Department has not been able to
positively execute its role of rendering security services to all Government
buildings as prescribed by the Executive Council.
In certain instances,
officials in this Sub-Directorate were directly implicated in crimes against
State property when in fact they were supposed to protect them. While actions have been taken against these
corrupt officials, the need to give focused attention to this function resulted
in the Sub-Directorate being elevated to a full Directorate.
The Department is currently
involved in a prioritisation process within this component that will result in
the re-deployment and shifting of personnel, in line with the identified needs
of all user Departments. This process
will in the long run ensure that there is a proper distribution of personnel
for an effective and efficient security service. This will result in a reduction of losses
through thefts.
It also became apparent
that the present structure that sees the Departmental Head at the level of
Deputy Director-General is not cost effective and commensurate with the size of
the Department. In future, the Head of
the Department will be at a Chief Director level.
The turn-around strategy
will also address the rationalism of posts presently existing in the structure
so that we have a much leaner structure in future.
The other key issue
identified by the strategic session has been our ability to mobilise
communities in the fight against crime while ensuring oversight of police
conduct. To that end, we will be
creating posts for Departmental Liaison Officers in the three operational areas
of the SAPS.
Transformation of the SAPS
During my presentation in
this hon House in the open session, I announced and welcomed the new Provincial
Commissioner and urged him to rise to the challenge of transforming the SAPS.
Representivity
Throughout my interaction
with him since then, I have been pleased to see that we are on the right track,
although a lot still needs to be done.
We were not able to reach the target of 50/50 representativity in the
filling of senior positions within the SAPS - the present ratio of 61% to 39%
still has to be impacted upon during the present unfolding processes of
appointments.
I have no doubt that his
commitment and understanding of the National Policy Framework on
democratisation and transformation of our State apparatus, is commendable. Our contribution to the transformation of the
SAPS will continue in partnership with the Commissioner for the benefit of citizens
of this Province.
Community Policing Forums
In addressing our Constitutional mandate to improve relations between the SAPS and communities, we have this year made an allocation for the sustainability of CPF’s and the funding of their crime prevention initiatives. While this funding might not be adequate, it is hoped that the business sector and other private initiatives will make their contribution in the true spirit of a nation working towards the realisation of a beautiful dream. It must be a dream of establishing a caring society, a dream and a vision of striving for the primacy of social morality among our people as a whole.
The formation of a new
patriotism should inspire each one of us to rally behind a common perspective -
a safer environment for all - where there is respect for human life and the
dignity of the individual.
The Fidelity Guards/Die Volksblad
Community Policing Award in partnership with the Department of Safety and Security, is an attestation of what can be achieved and that
the dream is workable and realisable.
Please allow me to now present my
budget for the 2000/2001 financial year:
Personnel Expenditure
An amount of R52 916 000
is budgeted under this item for the Department of Safety and Security.
This amount represents
payments in regard to the salaries and other service benefits in the Department
of Safety and Security. Personnel
expenditure represents 91% of the Budget, compared to the 92.7% of the total
Budget allocation of the previous year.
Due to the fact that salaries and other service benefits of officials
increase annually, the increment on the total Budget will be spent on this
item. Because the majority of officials
in this Department render services to client Departments, this disparity will
continue to exist.
Also, a head-count will
be carried out during the course of this financial year to confirm the
existence of all officials appearing on the payroll of the Department.
Administrative Expenditure
In order to ensure that
the Department is able to perform its functions efficiently, an amount of R1
004 000 million has been budgeted under this item, which is remarkably more
that the previous year. The amount
budgeted for administrative expenditure remains crucial with regard to the
ability of the Department to meet overheads and other day-to-day expenses.
Owing to the current
fiscal discipline, expenditure under this item will be limited to what is
absolutely necessary, and strict evaluation and
monitoring will be exercised.
The Department also has
to make provision for bursaries that may be allocated to personnel to develop
their skills in the best interest of the Department. Previously this expenditure was defrayed from
the budget of the Office of the Premier.
Stores and Livestock
An amount of R500 000 has
been budgeted under this item for the 2000/2001 financial year. Main spending items are consumable stock
items such as audio-visual materials, printing and stationary, as well as a
variety of other consumable stocks.
Expenses on these items are essential for the day-to-day running of the
Department.
Due to the fact that the
Department does not expect an exodus of security officials from other
departments as was the case in the past, less has been allocated to this item
in the 2000/2001 budget than in the 1999/2000 budget.
The amount that has been
budgeted under this item will be used for contingencies such as availing
resources to personnel in the Security Administration so as to boost its morale
and increase its motivation. Again,
strict control measures will be put in place to ensure that expenditure is
limited to absolute necessities.
Equipment
An amount of R600 000 has
been budgeted for equipment for the 2000/2001 financial year. This is less than the previous year, as the
Department managed to purchase most of the equipment such as batons, fax
machines, radios and office furniture in the previous financial year.
Given the fact that
critical posts still need to be filled, there will still be a dire need for
resources in the Secretariat in order for the Department to function optimally.
Land and Buildings
No amount was budgeted
for under land and buildings since the Department of Public Works, Roads and
Transport is presently supplying the Department of Safety and Security with
office space.
Professional and Specialised Services
An amount of R1 million
has been budgeted for professional and specialised services which is
considerably more than in the previous financial year. This increase is in anticipation of the
prioritisation of the security services in the buildings that are occupied by
personnel of the Provincial Administration.
In terms of the
provisions of the Constitution [108/1996]:
A Province
may appoint a Commission of Inquiry into the execution of its responsibilities
to investigate complaints of police inefficiency or mal-administration or a
breakdown in relations between the Police and the community.
It is therefore
fundamental that a realistic provision be made in the Budget to cater for such
eventualities.
Transfer Payments
The aim of allocating
funds under transfer payments is to provide funds for Community Policing
Forums. In the previous year, no funds
were allocated for transfer payments because of the inadequate funding received
by the Department.
The Department needs to
make funds available during the current year to finance the projects the forums
may need to undertake in the 2000/2001 year, especially crime prevention
projects developed by the forums in conjunction with the Department.
In this regard, the White
Paper for Safety and Security, “In Service
of Security” for 1999/2004 provides
that:
Crime
prevention programmes at local government-level should be financially supported
by the Local Governments themselves or through business, donor and National
Government Funding.
In this regard, the Department
has budgeted R600 000 under this item.
Miscellaneous expenditure
The increased allocation
of R1.5 million under this item is in line with the rising costs of employees'
contributions to the Stabilisation Fund that has worsened due to the insufficient
funding during the previous financial years.
It should be noted that this amount directly relates to payments that
have to be made to the Stabilisation Fund, the level of which is directly
related to the level of personnel expenditure in the Department.
In conclusion, I want to
express my confidence in our ability to turn the tide in our fight against
crime. There is a catalogue of success,
which you can go through. The success
rate of SAPS members in the
Crimes against women and
children are receiving the necessary attention.
In 22 cases where women and children were victims, two perpetrators were
sentenced to life imprisonment and in respect of the other 20 cases, a total of
257 years imprisonment was meted out to the respective accused.
In the field of
commercial crime, the confiscation of counterfeit South African money with a
face value of R5 million is commendable.
These successes are again an affirmation that the dream of a safer
environment is attainable.
The Department will
endeavour to execute its constitutional obligations within the parameters of
the allocated funds. As indicated
earlier, activities as presented in this budget are based on current and
previous spending levels.
Where circumstances
dictate otherwise, proper channels for the shifting of funds will be
followed. We remain confident that we
will manage the financial resources within the acceptable and realistic
financial management system that exists in the Department!
I wish to take this
opportunity to thank staff members who have helped me in compiling this budget
and this presentation.
I also wish to take this
opportunity to thank the Commissioner and management who continually present me
with information around matters of policing in the Province, even though it is
their constitutional obligation. They normally
go out of their way to ensure that even information I might not have been aware
of is presented to me.
I want to thank the hon
Members of the Executive Council, especially the hon Premier, who have
consistently assisted me as a newcomer to the Executive Council [Laughter] I want to thank my colleagues and hon Members
of the Legislature for questions they normally raise with me, because I can
only learn on that basis. [Applause]