Committee Strategic Plan and Programme: adoption

Meeting report

SAFETY AND SECURITY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
23 February 2005
COMMITTEE STRATEGIC PLAN AND PROGRAMME: ADOPTION

Chairperson: Ms M Sotyu (ANC)

Documents handed out:
Committee Strategic Planning Workshop Draft Report
Committee Draft Programme for First Session

SUMMARY
The Committee adopted their Programme and the Strategic Planning Workshop Draft Report with suggested minor technical changes. In the latter, they flagged some issues to be further discussed with the presenting organisations.

MINUTES
Ms J Sosibo (ANC) briefly acted as the Chairperson because Ms Sotyu had been delayed. After deliberation, Members agreed that only minor technical amendments would be made to the Committee Strategic Planning Workshop Report, and that issues requiring follow-up would be singled out.

After Ms Sotyu’s return, she reminded Members that changes would not be made to the report without the consent of the various organisations that had presented. Members could raise issues of concern that would be discussed with the presenters at a later date.

Mr Ndlovu questioned whether all police stations had access to the Internet as stated in the report.

The Chairperson responded that only the SAPS would be able to answer that question. Members could also check on this in their constituencies. Mr A Maziya (ANC) agreed.

Ms A Van Wyk (ANC) clarified that the report referred to the ‘intranet’ and not the ‘internet’. Only the police stations had access to these sites.

Mr Ndlovu requested that the Committee raise the issue of racism and unfair discrimination within the SAPS. The organisation had never mentioned racism and discrimination as a problem. In the report, the SA Human Rights Commission had claimed these were problems and thus the Committee should request an explanation from the SAPS.

Mr R Jankielsohn (DA) cautioned Members to be careful of interpretation of the report. ‘Transformation’ on page 7 could have many different interpretations.

Mr O Monareng (ANC) stated that the SA Human Rights Commission might have encountered race issues with the SAPS that had not been resolved. Some Members - including himself - had observed xenophobia within the Police. The Committee therefore should request the SAPS to give more detail on these issues.

The Committee adopted the report and their 2005 Programme with the agreement to make necessary minor changes.

The meeting was adjourned.