Speaker, Deputy Speaker, members of the House, fellow South Africans, the government of the Republic remains firmly committed to the realisation of the goal of a better life for all. This includes the improvement of the quality of life of all the people of our country in a manner that will ensure enhanced levels of safety and security.
To a large measure, crime in our country has a uniquely random and violent character. A greater proportion of murders, rapes and other crimes take place among acquaintances, particularly in poor communities where living conditions do not allow for decent family and social life. In addition, cross-border criminal networks are involved in a variety of crimes including vehicle hijacking, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
All these factors speak to the continued relevance of a multipronged approach in the fight against crime, combining aspects of crime prevention, crime combating, the improvement of socioeconomic conditions, the strengthening of the spirit of ubuntu and human solidarity among citizens.
Government releases these statistics once a year to provide the public with an indication of the crime situation in the country. More importantly, crime statistics are used daily as a management tool to guide operational plans for the SA Police Service.
The statistics before the House deal with the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009. As government, we need to reiterate that the release of statistics is not merely to quantify crime or to create a debate in our society. We believe that this is a call to action for government, business, NGOs and communities at large.
The various breakdowns of crime trends over the past fiscal year reveal that there are areas where we are making progress. At the same time, there are other areas where we are still lagging behind.
Nevertheless, the ANC government remains unmoved in its commitment to securing a better life for all, and the fight against crime is an integral part of ensuring this better life.
Contact crime currently accounts for 32,7% of all crimes. It is this form of crime with which violence is generally associated. We are therefore encouraged by the decrease in five of the seven contact crime types which occurred during the period 2008-09.
Conversely, there are certain types of crime that have increased during the same period. These increases serve to dampen some of our enthusiasm regarding the overall decrease in contact crimes.
In four key areas crime has increased. These areas are: robbery with aggravated circumstances, sexual offences, stock theft and commercial crime.
In assessing aggravated robberies, there are three areas which account for the increase. These are business robberies, house robberies and hijackings.
Of the three areas mentioned, the highest increase was recorded in the area of business robberies. When we analyse these robbery statistics, we find that, in the formal business sector, robberies either declined or, where they did increase, the increase was generally only between 3% and 4%. The area where the biggest increase occurred was in the small and informal business area. This area would include small general dealers and spaza shops.
Over the past few months we have been engaging the business community to assess how we can better work together to reduce these robberies. Arising from these meetings, a number of key areas have been identified that could assist us in dealing more effectively with this form of crime.
The first relates to the type of business being targeted and the fact that almost 70% of all business robberies in fact occur at small and informal businesses.
It is important to recognise that the police need to do more to assist and protect these small businesses. However, we are aware that certain factors make these businesses particularly vulnerable to such robberies.
Issues like the availability of cash - which is often linked to the difficulty these businesses face when it comes to accessing banking services - and the unavailability of resources to implement crime prevention measures, contribute to making these businesses vulnerable. As government and Parliament we need to do more to assist these businesses as they are an important source of job creation and represent the entrepreneurial spirit of our nation.
Over the next few months we will be engaging both large and smaller businesses in an attempt to see how we can support each other to reduce robberies at small business premises. Already, joint SAPS-business initiatives are being piloted in Johannesburg Central and Tembisa, and these focus specifically on robberies at small businesses.
To address business robberies more generally, we are working towards consolidating our partnership with business. A crucial activity in this alignment process is greater information-sharing. We are confident that, as we move forward with this partnership which focuses on a government- directed and government -led strategy supported by business, we will be able to assist in making South Africa a safer place in which to do business.
Cash-in-transit robberies have declined by 2,3%. This, we agree, is not much of a decrease. To address this, the department has, over the last two months, focused considerable attention on the area of cash-in-transit robberies. We have started consulting with businesspeople regarding improvement of standards within the industry. The SAPS has also had a number of successes in the arrest and foiling of such robberies. There is no doubt that the improved standards coupled with the proactive measures taken by the SAPS have dealt a serious blow to cash-in-transit heist criminals. We believe that the increase experienced since the end of the fiscal year is likely to start declining. We are also concerned about the increase in house robberies which, during the last financial year, increased by 27%. It is one of the crimes that is the most intrusive and which personalises the crime experience. We simply cannot tolerate a situation where people do not feel safe in their homes. House robberies affect communities from all walks of life and are not restricted to wealthy areas.
Again, we recognise that the SAPS needs to do more to address this form of crime. To this effect, under the leadership of the National Commissioner of Police, an audit has started which looks in earnest at how we deploy our resources. This includes human and material resources as well as the timing of our deployment.
Equally, we realise that we need greater engagement with affected communities. Communities must ensure that those who represent them on the community police forums are equal partners with the police in establishing the programme of action to address their needs and to monitor the implementation thereof. This engagement assists us in refining our approach to deal with house robberies.
We have recently piloted an initiative in Honeydew involving the SAPS and private security companies active in the area. This initiative is aimed at reducing the risks associated with house robberies. We are evaluating the lessons and successes. Based on this evaluation and if the experience is worth rolling out, we will develop a national approach to these crimes. The final form of aggravated robbery that has increased significantly is that of hijacking. This statistic includes both truck and car hijacking, with truck hijacking increasing by 15% and car hijacking by 5%.
In tackling the illicit trade in vehicles we need to look at both the local and regional markets. The Second-Hand Goods Act - which will be fully implemented in January 2010 - will go some way in curtailing the local market for illicit vehicles. We are also going to make greater use of technology to assist us in tracking and identifying such vehicles. Technology such as automated number plate recognition has already been piloted within the SAPS.
In dealing with the illicit regional trade in vehicles we are further enhancing our co-operation with other regional police agencies to strengthen the implementation of regional protocols and agreements. We anticipate that, with the election of our national commissioner as the head of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation, and the subsequent election of South Africa to chair the SARPCCO Council of Ministers, we will be able to use our positions to advance our tactics regarding cross-border crime.
Over the last year we have implemented a number of policing strategies to address house, business and vehicle robberies. Some of these strategies have yielded considerable success. One such is the introduction, in some provinces, of the war room concept. Through this concept, suspects involved in violent organised crime have been tracked, linked to crimes and arrested.
Going forward, we are now looking to the newly formed Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation to consolidate these efforts. The DPCI is still relatively new, but we are already witnessing successes. The arrest of a number of cash-in-transit robbers, together with the recovery of firearms used in these crimes are examples of some of these successes.
Equally, the DPCI played an integral part in the successful drug seizure here in Durban and in the United Kingdom when they arrested a drug syndicate in Durban and seized drugs worth R500 million.
We are heartened by the slight decline in crimes against women and children. Nevertheless, we are still not entirely satisfied. Violence against women and children is still prevalent in our society. This phenomenon militates against our national effort to create a caring and humane society, underpinned by values of human solidarity, justice, peace and development.
The closure of special units that have focused on some of these crimes against women and children has led to significant debate. We have listened to these debates on the reintroduction of these specialised units, in particular the child protection and sexual offences units. The SAPS are now implementing the reintroduction of these particular units to improve their capacity.
The increase of 2,7% in stock theft also poses a serious challenge. This form of crime negatively impacts on the lives of people living in rural communities and requires our particular attention. Our history is characterised, among others things, by deliberate neglect of rural areas. The birth of democracy saw a shift in approach. Government has now placed the issue of rural development high on the agenda. Once again, the SAPS have begun the process of locating this as a key focal area. Stock theft is another of the areas where we are going to enhance the capacities of our units.
We have started this overview by focusing on the negatives because it is important that we admit our challenges and seek to find concrete means of addressing them. However, we also need to look at some of our successes because these can assist us to identify what has worked and help us to adapt some of our approaches to the challenges we face.
There are four key areas where, we are happy to say, we have seen decreases over the past year.
These areas include, firstly, murder and attempted murder. Both these forms of crime have been steadily declining over the last couple of years. We are pleased to say that they have continued to decline over the last fiscal year. During this period murder declined by 3,4% and attempted murder by 4,3%.
Assault, both common and with grievous bodily harm, has also declined over the last year. Common assault declined by 4,3% and assault with GBH by 4,7%. As with murder, we are encouraged to see that this decline is consistent with previous years.
The dramatic decline in bank robberies is extremely encouraging. During the last financial year the number of bank robberies declined by 29,2%. Some of the key factors contributing to our success in this area include the partnership developed between business and government, resulting in increased arrests of perpetrators; strict bail for offenders; and measures introduced by the banks themselves.
What is equally encouraging is that ATM attacks - which are not listed as a specific category in our crime statistics - also declined by 10%. The picture between January and September of this year would seem to indicate that this 10% decline has now risen to a 75% decrease. Once again, this decrease can be attributed to improved police responses and approaches as well as enhanced co-operation with the banking sector.
One of the largest categories of aggravated robberies is that of street robberies. The decline in both street robberies and common robberies is undoubtedly a positive trend. During this period, street robberies declined by 7,4% and common robberies by 8,9%. Despite this decline, the number of street robberies still remains unacceptably high and we need to ensure that we do not become complacent. We must ensure that we continue to give attention to this form of crime.
In looking forward, there are a number of key areas of focus for the SAPS which we believe will contribute to reducing crime levels in the country.
Some of these measures include a more concerted focus on the role that intelligence can play in supporting our approach to crime. We have recognised that intelligence should act as a nerve centre and has a crucial role to play in all aspects of policing.
We are currently revitalising our intelligence component. Part of this revitalisation includes ensuring the integration of intelligence into all aspects of policing, and this will be anchored by the DPCI.
We have been working with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development on amendments to Section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act. We are at the stage of finalising these amendments, which will go before Parliament during the fourth session of this year.
These changes are being made in order to strengthen the hand of the police in dealing with violent criminals. It is important to mention, at this point, that trigger-happy members of the SAPS must not think that this is a licence to kill. It is a measure aimed specifically at dealing with serious violent crime and dangerous criminals.
Alongside these changes, we have strengthened the Independent Complaints Directorate. We see this strengthening of the ICD as an important measure to ensure that changes to Section 49 are not abused.
Government has focused attention on the revamping of the criminal justice system. The basis for this is to ensure a far better integration of the different departmental role players in the criminal justice environment but also to start addressing the root causes of crime.
It is apparent to all of us that the police alone cannot win the fight against crime. Criminals do not live in isolation from communities. Therefore we need to deepen our partnership with communities. The Ministry has established a dedicated unit to focus on deepening the interaction with communities, civil society, business, faith-based organisations and the different spheres of government. [Time expired.]
Speaker, there is something that the ANC has missed in its 15 years of treating crime statistics as something to be held hostage until the last possible moment and then released with great fanfare after its spin doctors have worked overtime for a month or so beforehand. And you've certainly done that this year.
Some 15 months after we last had a look at the crime statistics, and after you reneged on your predecessor's assurance that statistics would be released twice a year, there has been a massive charm offensive by the Ministry. Op-eds, TV-covered busts and reports were given of what a marvellous job you've been doing shooting and killing anyone you've determined is a criminal.
What you've missed is the fact that every murder, rape, beating, act of torture, robbery or fraud, every one of the thousands upon thousands of crimes coldly detailed in this annual report, that is 5 753 serious crimes daily, represents the damage - frequently irreparable - done to another South African citizen.
These are not your statistics, Minister, nor are they the private property of the ANC to be kept from us before an election for fear that the sheer volume of them may cost you votes. These are the statistics of the citizens of South Africa, the statistics that they should be able to access freely at their local SAPS station, so that their tiny neighbourhood watches stay on top of an always fluid situation, and are aware when their neighbourhood is targeted by criminals.
This morning our Chairperson had the unmitigated gall to exclude the very people who report on what we do here in Parliament from witnessing oversight in action. Madam Chair, you broke every rule in the book by ordering this morning's meeting to be held in camera. While you were no doubt merely acting as the obedient ANC cadre, I will ask that the Speaker himself run an investigation into your actions.
Minister, the statistics are dismal and indeed might well have had the ANC losing more than the 4% they did if released before the election.
Business robberies are up by 41,2% and commercial crime is up by 16%. It is little wonder that the latest World Economic Forum's global competitiveness report ranked South Africa as the worst place in which to do business because of crime. House robberies are up by 27,3%. Truck hijackings are up by 15,4% and car hijackings are up by 5%. We have also seen a significant rise in sexual offences. It is up by 10%.
That is, of course, of deep concern to us and highlights just how devastating the ANC's decision to disband the family violence, sexual offences and child protection units was. That decision was taken for political purposes and has come at a high cost to ordinary South Africans.
The DA is not impressed by your antics and manipulation of Parliament today. We are also not impressed by those statistics which by many accounts do not, in fact, reflect the true situation in South Africa at all. Our police have been hiding away and even burning dockets to ensure they receive a ministerial pat on the head.
Even when they are caught red-handed by the Independent Complaints Directorate investigators, as was the case at Mountain Rise in KwaZulu- Natal, the SAPS doesn't expel them and arrest them. No, they tell the ICD to go to hell. My attempts to introduce private member's legislation to give the ICD teeth has been cancelled again today for the second, or the third time, I think. There's no will at all to improve the situation.
The Auditor-General knows this is a problem that you won't clean up yourself. So in future, at my request, all crime statistics will be audited. Of course no one will be able to pick up the unrecorded, burned case files, but at least it's a start to cleaning up a service which has so many members dirtying the reputations of the majority, who wouldn't dream of committing such a crime.
To the families of the 51 people who will be murdered in South Africa today, there are some of us who tell it as it is, and not, obviously, as the ANC would have us believe.
With the 2010 Soccer World Cup around the corner, the usual rhetoric and empty promises will not cut it. We need more police and better training. We need to deal with the backlog of 20 000 forensic laboratory samples. We need the reconstitution of specialised units, and an end to cadre deployment within our police service. Only by dealing with the real problems, can we bring down the crime rate in the future. Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament, today the Minister released crime statistics to Members of Parliament. This is one event that generates a lot of responses and comments from all quarters. The truth of the matter is that crime statistics are statistics. It means crime has been committed.
The desire and wish of all of us is to see the levels of crime going down in our beloved country. There are positive aspects in the statistics, where attempted murder and murder have decreased. We must commend the police for this.
The truth of the matter is that the levels of crime in our country are unacceptably high. I was very happy when I heard the Minister say this morning that even if it is 4%, it is crime and the police must attend to it.
Cope welcomes the release of the crime statistics and commits itself to supporting any endeavour to bring the levels of crime down in our country.
We are concerned about the increasing commercial crime as these are the resources that should be shared with everybody, especially the poor. I thank you.
Chairperson, on behalf of the IFP, I honour the men and women of the SAPS who risk their lives and endure endless obstacles in the protection of their fellow South Africans. As we consider the latest crime statistics, let us not lose sight of the people behind the numbers.
The increase in crime against our most vulnerable segments of society is deplorable. Owners of SMMEs and informal businesses do not have the resources to install expensive CCTV cameras or hire extra security guards. We must have more visible policing, especially in communities, so that people can feel safe in their own homes and safe when they conduct business. This will curb crime even against foreigners, who are particularly targeted.
We also call for better intelligence to prevent crime. In the case of stock thefts, increased military intelligence must be coupled with the involvement of the army. People living in rural areas depend on livestock for survival and do not have the means to fight back, particularly when stock is moved across our borders.
The poor and the vulnerable need a strong champion. That is what crime statistics are telling us today. In the end, every statistic in the document before us reflects a deeply affected life in a deeply affected society.
South Africans are being driven further and further apart. They are even afraid to look each other in the eye, because every headline screams crime and every family has a story of tragedy and injustice. [Time expired.]
Hon Chairperson, the ID has mixed feelings about the release of this year's crime statistics because of the allegations of police under-reporting at a number of stations across the country.
Crime statistics are important for planning and budgeting, but it is more important that our people feel safe in their homes, schools, playgrounds and communities. The ID welcomes the 3,4% decrease in murder and the overall decrease in five of the seven contact crime categories measured, but we are still seeing a frightening increase in other forms of violent crime.
The increase in sexual offences is most worrying and shows we have a lot to do to create a society where our women and children feel safe.
Concerning the increase in crime in the small business sector, we need to promote entrepreneurship to grow and transform our economy.
The refusal to release statistics on a regular basis fuels public speculation. It results in a negative perception about crime in our country. Until we deal convincingly with the massive inequalities and the crisis within the social fabric of our society, crime will remain a huge problem in our country. I thank you. [Applause.]
Agb Voorsitter, die VF Plus salueer daardie manne en vroue in uniform wat selfs bereid is om hulle lewens op te offer om vir my, u en die publiek te beskerm.
As ons kyk na die misdaadstatistiek, is die rooftogte wat by woonhuise uitgevoer word, uiters kommerwekkend vir die VF Plus, want daar was 'n toename van 27,3%. Dit is een van daardie aspekte wat die afgelope drie jaar elke jaar toegeneem het en as jy die tydperk oor die drie jaar vat, was daar 'n toename van 54,2%.
As ons ook kyk na motorkapings wat 'n toename van 5% toon, sien ons dit het ook oor die afgelope drie jaar 'n toename van 16,3% getoon. Die VF Plus s daar waar die publiek veronderstel is om veilig te wees - by hul huise, waar hulle vrede moet h of waar hulle op pad na of terug van hulle werk is - word hulle lewens bedreig. 'n Rooftog is niks anders as om iemand se lewe te bedreig nie. Dit maak Suid-Afrika nog steeds onveilig wat misdaad betref.
Daar is 'n afname in terme van moord en poging tot moord, maar die gemiddelde syfer per 100 000 is nog steeds 37,3. Dit is steeds agt keer meer as die wreldgemiddeld en ons sal moet kyk om dit korrek aan te spreek. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Chairperson, the FF Plus salutes those men and women in uniform who are even prepared to sacrifice their lives in order to protect me, you and the public.
Looking at the crime statistics, the robberies that are carried out at residential homes are extremely alarming to the FF Plus, because there has been an increase of 27,3%. This is one of those aspects which have seen an annual increase for the past three years, cumulating in an increase of 54,2% over this three-year period.
Looking at car hijackings as well, which reflect an increase of 5%, we have also noticed that over the past three years there was an increase of 16,3%. The FF Plus is saying that where the public is supposed to be safe - in their homes, where they should have peace, or when they are travelling to and from work - their lives are under threat. A robbery is nothing less than a threat to take someone's life. This is what still renders South Africa unsafe as far as crime is concerned.
There has been a decline in terms of murder and attempted murder, but the average rate per 100 000 is still 37,3. This is eight times more than the world average and we will have to look into addressing this properly. I thank you.]
Chairperson, while the ACDP welcomes the release of crime statistics today, we believe they are long overdue. Our people want to know whether government is successful in their fight against crime or losing. Withholding this vital information from the public leads to much speculation and the conclusion that government is failing in its most fundamental responsibility of protecting its citizens.
It is reported that countries that struggle with high crime rates, such as Northern Ireland, publish six statistical reports a year, and in the US, the New York Police Department releases weekly statistics. We believe our crime statistics should initially be released quarterly, then later on a monthly basis.
The ACDP is unhappy about sexual offences that have increased by 10% and household robberies that have increased by 27,3%. Many of these robberies take place while people are at home and they are left highly traumatised. That is why much effort has to go into reducing them.
The ACDP commends the police for the areas where they have been successful. I thank you.
Chairperson, the MF strongly believes that we have to deal with crime in a broader sense. And it is not only the responsibility of the Minister dealing with safety and security, but that of all the relevant Ministers, including the Ministers of Economic Development, housing, etc. Socioeconomic stability and the removal of poverty must be given the highest priority.
The MF, indeed, welcomes the commitment and the initiatives of the department to eradicate crime, but strongly believes that professional criminals require the strong arm of the law. The MF is pleased to note the reduction of crime in certain areas and hopes that we all are responsible for committing ourselves to eradicating crime, or should I rather say, it is everyone's responsibility, who breathes South African air and lives on South African soil, to fight for a crime-free South Africa. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, members of the executive, Members of Parliament, in April this year we went to the electorate to renew our mandate and to determine democratically what the will of the people is on who should govern our country and its people.
Every single party represented in this House, through their manifestos, made a commitment to fight crime. Today poses a challenge to all of us on how we deal with the reality of the situation. We are reflecting on what results our efforts have brought us, but also need to look at what more we can do to ensure that our country becomes the one we all aspire to, and our nation becomes the proud and dignified nation it is supposed to be.
I would like to thank the Minister for his frank and open approach in dealing with the release of the crime statistics. It is encouraging to see that the Minister understands and acknowledges the challenges that he and his department are facing, but also that they have already started to address these challenges decisively.
The fact that the Minister briefed the committee and that we did not read about the release in the media clearly illustrates Parliament's role as partner in the fight against crime. [Applause.]
Once more, let me extend our appreciation, as a portfolio committee, to the Minister for the manner in which he dealt with these results by taking the portfolio committee into his confidence before releasing them. All parties, the ANC, IFP, ACDP, Cope and FF Plus, expressed this view and an understanding of the need for a closed meeting. [Applause.]
As the ANC, we agree that crime is a challenge for all of us. We also agree that it affects all of us across racial lines. We are of the strong view that a partnership in crime fighting is the answer. We believe that we have the means to fight crime. Themba Khumalo, the editor-in-chief of Daily Sun, on 7 September 2009 said:
The time is already here when together we should be fighting back. It is the great battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. It is time to pick a side, become a soldier and go to war again.
I think this view expressed by Themba Khumalo is correct, and I think we need more of these messages and actions from many of us to drive the point home.
The crime statistics released by the Minister of Police today confirm again that crime in South Africa is violent. Robberies, hi-jackings and sexual offences confirm the violent nature of crime. They further reflect the type of society we are or have become. Crime talks to the moral fibre of our community. It has become easy for even people who regard themselves as law- abiding to turn to violence. We have seen violence in our universities during student protests and in communities protesting about service delivery. This proves that more and more we are becoming a violent nation.
The everyday assaults of farm dwellers by some farmers and sometimes the killing of farmers is proof of how we have opted to use violence in our everyday life. The time has come, we have to stop this violence, first amongst ourselves as forces of good so that we can easily identify the forces of evil.
The released crime statistics is the systematic measure of various factors. It reflects the levels and types of crimes that have occurred in a specific period, in this case, between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009. In addition, these crime statistics will serve as an indicator of crime that is likely to occur and, as such, the measures to implement.
The increase in business robberies is indeed worrying. It is true that two thirds of business robberies affected small businesses and, in our townships, RDP houses, etc. The large amounts of cash that are kept at these business premises could be an issue. I think, together with our banks and our businesses, we urgently need to find a solution to this problem.
We have been informed that robberies affecting big businesses remain stable, which we appreciate, but we think more can still be done to reduce that further.
The increase in house robberies might be an indication of many issues, including the seriousness in the investigation of these crimes if there was no murder or rape committed. Criminals study how we react to their evil deeds. We believe that strengthening police patrols, community police forums, street committees and rural safety committees, as well as arrests and convictions of perpetrators might reduce this crime.
The gradual decline in murder and attempted murder is welcomed. The fact that in 54% of cases a knife is the object that is used to commit murder or attempted murder indicates that the victim will be killed in close proximity to, or possibly by a known person. This is indeed worrying.
Over the past 15 years this government and this Parliament voted a huge slice of the available budget to the SAPS. Human and capital resources have increased significantly. Our success in the fight against crime did not always match our investment. We would closely monitor the output of the SAPS so as to ensure that the people receive the service that they require and deserve. We need to reap the benefits from our investment.
Looking at the areas of success as highlighted here today, it is clear to the ANC that underlying those successes are strong partnerships and very good intelligence. It therefore becomes imperative that the department should strengthen its intelligence capacity at all levels of the service.
Every single police officer must know that the work they do should be informed by intelligence and that while they are conducting their daily tasks, information should be treated as probable intelligence in another case.
The SAPS cannot afford to work in silos. The work of one division will and should inform the work of another, and police officers should be aware of all aspects of policing.
We welcome the strengthening of the detective services through the recruitment and training of detectives. We are also, however, aware that many of the skills that a detective needs, he or she should develop over the years while doing the job.
With regard to training, we should also urge the Minister to seriously review and evaluate current approaches to training, and training of SAPS officers. Too many reports are received on poor service from the police and botched investigations that lead to mistrust.
It is clear that partnerships form a great part in determining the successes that are achieved in bringing the crime figures down. The significant drop in ATM robberies is an example. It is to this extent that we, as Members of Parliament, representing our various constituencies, have an important and leading role to play.
We should encourage the establishment of strong, active community police forums, or CPFs and street committees. We should explain the advantage that comes with the involvement of a community in determining its safety needs and plans. Our role should not just be to criticise - that comes easily - our role should be to mobilise and act.
As much as crime affects all of us, rich or poor, educated or not, criminals are part of our communities. They are someone's brother, sister, father or friend. They live amongst us. If we judge the SAPS on the crime statistics let us remember that society, which we are part of, is judged by the nature of our crime.
In conclusion, I want to say that it is easy for a member, by being too negative, to become a burden to even the party she or he belongs to. I think hon Kohler-Barnard might be getting there. I thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.