The contract for security companies was not terminated. The contract expired on 30 June 2012 and the SAPS chose not to establish a new contract for those services again. The SAPS has called on reservists to perform guard duty at identified SAPS premises for an interim period of four months, from 29 June to 01 November 2012.
A total number of 3 650 reservists were called on to perform the above- mentioned duties at SAPS premises, including premises at head office, provincial and police station levels. The call-up of police reservists to perform these guard duties was co-ordinated by the SAPS at national level.
The SAPS is in the process of verifying and consolidating the final number of reservists and SAPS members, if any, called up to perform guard duties at SAPS premises. The final number will be communicated in writing as soon as it is available.
Madam Deputy Speaker, the reality is that the contracts for the private security companies and the cleaners were scrapped because Cosatu told the Minister to. The Minister and the Ministry have successfully thrown hundreds - if not thousands, because no one has given us the number yet - of breadwinners out of work. This is because of the fact that they couldn't pay dues to Cosatu-affiliated unions. Do you intend to take any responsibility for the thousands put out of work or are they just going to be considered collateral damage?
Deputy Speaker, it is so amazing ...
... ukuba abantu beli lizwe balibala ngokukhawuleza okungaka. [... how the people of this country have such a short memory.]
It was not long ago that members were complaining about government institutions being guarded by private security companies. It was not long ago that members were complaining about the plight of the reservists in the police because they did not have any source of income and some of them were not even safe to work in the police. Now that we are trying to address this, people are coming with other issues because they have their own interest - what, we do not know. I am not going to talk on behalf of Cosatu here because I'm not a spokesperson for Cosatu.
Secondly, no SAPS members are guarding any institution of government. The only institutions of government that are being guarded by members of the SAPS are our forensic laboratories, Parliament and airports. You cannot let police stations be guarded by security guards. [Applause.]
Madam Deputy Speaker, regarding the refusal to take on any more reservists, presumably we are hoping that they'll die or resign because there can be no other explanation for the bizarre on, off, on again moratorium. There may not be many left to guard the gates at stations. The National Commissioner of Police informed us that this was a job opportunity for young people. I must ask if you intend paying young people to guard the gates, in fact replacing contract workers with contract workers. How has Cosatu agreed to allow you to do this?
Hayi andisosithethi sikaCosatu, tat'omkhulu. [Sorry, I am not Cosatu's spokesperson, grandfather.] I am not going to respond to that. What I am saying is that we have, of course, created employment for reservists because we are taking them on as full-time members in the police - but not under the South African Police Service Act, Act 68 of 1995. We are taking them on as employees in the SAPS because they did not have jobs. They have jobs now. We started with 3 650 people and we are looking forward to employing more. [Interjections.] We do not consider age when hiring people, saying your age makes you useless so we will not use you. As long as you are willing to work and meet the requirements, we will use you. [Interjections.]
Sukubhabhazela sisi. [Don't get emotional, lady.]
Deputy Minister, what I wanted to ask is a follow-up to your question. I know that most of the reservists have been doing quite valuable work in the police, not only the work of looking after property. Have you looked at the implications of permanent, static work in terms of whether it is going to affect your force level when you deploy them in various places? Lastly, there was talk about transferring some of the old Defence Force members into the police service to do this kind of work. Has that work been completed?
MOTLATSI WA LETONA LA SEPOLESA: Ke tla qala ka ho araba potso ya pele. Ke ile ka hlalosa hore ha se sebaka se seng le se seng se tla diswa ke mapolesa a fetotsweng balebedi. Ke dibaka tse itseng feela tseo sena se tla etsahalang ho tsona. Dibaka tseo o buang ka tsona moo ho diswang matlo a Matona le a Bakomishenara ba Baholo le tse ding tse jwalo. Re tla nne re sebedise mapolesa ao a ntseng a le moo. Haesale mapolesa ao a ntse a le dibakeng tseo, kahoo re ke ke ra tshwenyana le tshebetso ya bona. (Translation of Sesotho paragraph follows)
[The DEPUTY MINISTER OF POLICE: I will start by responding to the first question. I did explain that it is not all the premises that will be guarded by the police who are turned into guards. It is only at some premises where this will happen. The premises you are referring to were those of Ministers and senior commissioners and similar people that were being guarded. We will continue to use those police officers that are there. Those police officers have been there for some time now, so we will not interfere with their duties.]
We won't interfere with them; they will still be there. But there are specific institutions of government that will be guarded by the reservists ...
... bao re tla be re ba entse balebedi. Ha ke a utlwa potso ya hao ya bobedi hore e ne e reng na, ke mohau. Re tla e bua ha re le babedi. [... who will be made guards. I did not clearly understand your second question, I am sorry. We will discuss it between us.]
Thank you, hon Deputy Minister. Are there any further supplementary questions? There are no further supplementary questions. The next question, which is Question 2 on the Question Paper, falls away in terms of Rule 117, which states that if a reply is provided before 12:00 on the Question Day, the question may not be called in the House. That has happened. The next question ...
Chairperson ...
Yes, hon member?
On a point of information to the House, we are very happy that we had to compel the hon Minister to reply. That question had been on the Order Paper for Written Reply for several months. We are very happy that this Rule has now forced the Minister ...
Hon member, the reply has been provided, in terms of the Rules. The next question is Question 211, asked by the hon Gaum to the Minister of Home Affairs.
Negotiations by Government for the lifting or easing of visa requirements
211. Adv A H Gaum (ANC) asked the Minister of Home Affairs: (a) With reference to her reply to question 1631 on 8 August 2012, what date has been determined for resuming discussions on the lifting of visa requirements for South African citizens visiting Britain and (b) with which other countries is the Government negotiating to do away with or ease visa requirements for visitors?