Thank you, Deputy Chair. The answer to the question is yes, the SA Police Service, through the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, DPCI, has sufficient capacity to fight organised crime. This capacity is mostly concentrated in Gauteng. You will know that according to the statistics and the approach to the fight against crime that is where the crime is concentrated.
Whilst we have the DPCI concentrating on organised crime, there is a multidisciplinary approach in the fight against organised crime. Different divisions within the police, be it visible policing or intelligence, and so on, together with other departments, come together when it comes to the issue of fighting crime. However, the DPCI, of course, leads in that process. Thank you.
Thank you, hon Deputy Chairperson. In regard to organised crime, my real concern is that when it comes to abalone poaching, it is seen as a Category B crime, yet it is directly linked to organised crime. Are we really concentrating on that, or is it staying as a Category B crime and we then have to list it as an issue in a particular area?
Well, mostly our experience is that the abalone poaching is organised crime and that is how we approach it. This is because, indeed, most such crime does not happen in an unorganised fashion; it is organised. Therefore the approach of the Hawks or the DPCI has always been that it is part of organised crime. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam Deputy Chair. Hon Minister, you have informed the House that your department has sufficient resources to deal with organised crime. If that is the case, when then can we see a dramatic decrease in and elimination of organised crime?
Hon member, I think you do give yourself time to follow up on the reports of crime statistics which we release every year. You can deduce the following from that. You will see that the decrease in crime in South Africa cuts across organised and unorganised crime. If you want further details of the statistics we can provide that.
In fact, in the last Budget Vote debate I went into detail explaining how the Hawks or the DPCI are succeeding in the fight against organised crime. Of course, it's a huge area. It is an area which needs an international approach. Our participation in Interpol, for instance, also aids in the fight against crime, particularly organised crime. As I have said, when it comes to statistics, we will be happy to share them with you. Thank you very much.
Thank you, hon Deputy Chairperson. Thank you to the Minister for that reply. Hon Minister, my question concerns the fact that you say that you have sufficient resources to deal with organised crime, but how then is your department dealing with the terrible scourge of rhino poaching, which is simply just getting totally out of hand? Is it perhaps not true, without wishing to contradict you, that the resources you require are not there and that you need more resources? And if you have sufficient resources, as you say, why is the poaching of rhinos not being brought under control?
Madam Deputy Chairperson, I don't know whether the hon member wants us to go into each and every aspect of organised crime. You are taking just one out of hundreds of areas of organised crime. If you want statistics in the fight against crime and the conviction of people, we will provide you with that information.
I am saying to you that the fact that there has been a high awareness of, a lot of emphasis on and publicity of this particular type of organised crime does not necessarily mean that nothing is being done about it. I reiterate what I have said to you, that the fight against organised crime is continuing in the country.
I can enumerate to you where a lot has happened, as this is just one tiny aspect in the bigger scheme of organised crime. When we talk of organised crime, we don't confine it only to those criminal activities that happen within the borders of South Africa. It is transnational crime. There are a lot of crimes and that one in particular forms part of them.
Through you, Deputy Chair, I can say to you that if you want specifics on the matter, I can give you an example. Part of what people have raised with the rhino poaching is that the rhino tusks are sold mostly in East Asian countries. We have a programme where we have engaged with our counterparts in those parts of the world. So, if you want specific issues we will deal with them at any time.
Hon members, you must know that we have very limited time for follow-up questions, and it is not as if I am harsh or insensitive to people who want to pose questions. This will be the last one.
Thank you, Deputy Chair. I would like to put a question to the Minister. He said that the police are quite capable of dealing with organised crime. What is his comment on the fact that according to reports we see that a large section of the police can't even pass the competency test to carry a firearm? What are your comments on that? Thank you.
It is an irrelevant question.
Okay, Minister, can you not answer that one because it is a new question? [Interjections.]
[Inaudible.]
Unfortunately, I am not being harsh on you, but we have to follow principles here. [Interjections.]
And walk away as well.
No! No! No! No intimidation, please.
Staff complement at Commercial Crime Unit in Port Elizabeth and improvement of directorate of priority crimes unit
23. Mrs E C van Lingen (DA) asked the Minister of Police:
What (a) is the staff complement at the Commercial Crime Unit in Port Elizabeth, (b) plans are in place to fill staff shortages and (c) steps are in place to improve the directorate of priority crimes unit in relation to the (i) staff component, (ii) vehicles and (iii) budget allocation? CO84E
Deputy Chairperson, the staff complement is 39 officials, consisting of 31 functional members and 8 Public Service Act members. Staff shortage is minimal - there are 39 staff members and the number of allocated posts is 41. This means that currently the unit is staffed at 95%.
In relation to vehicle strength, the unit has 25 vehicles, which is more than the prescribed ratio of members per vehicle.
A consolidated budget for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, DPCI, for 2012-13, to fund the operational costs of the DPCI, will be adequate to cover operational expenses of all offices and units within the DPCI. An additional allocation from the National Treasury for the 2012-13 financial year is also expected to strengthen the operational capacity of all DPCI units, including Port Elizabeth. Thank you.
Deputy Chairperson, I would like to ask the Minister if the Commercial Crime Unit is going to be replaced by the DPCI in Port Elizabeth or if the Commercial Crime Unit will continue to exist. Thank you.
Deputy Chairperson, the Commercial Crime Unit is part of the DPCI. There was no way that when we came up with the idea of forming the DPCI we would have left this very important, this crucial part out. By and large, crimes which the DPCI deals with are commercial. There are others which are not, but at the core, they are commercial crimes. Thank you.
Is that a further question or a new question?
[Inaudible.]
All right.
Thank you, Deputy Chairperson. I'm highly delighted to hear that the Minister is going to continue with the Commercial Crime Unit. My problem is, however, that there are only two officials in that department of the Commercial Crime Unit who attend to municipal investigations, and that causes a very big delay. This is why I asked the question, to hear if perhaps in that regard you will, through the DPCI, increase the number of officials to investigate municipal crimes. Thank you.
Deputy Chairperson, I am glad that the hon member is pleased. Thank you.
Details relating to payment of salaries and overtime payments, and details relating to salary increases in SAPS
24. Mr M J R de Villiers (DA) asked the Minister of Police:
(1) Whether all SA Police Service (a) staff and (b) officials have received their (i) salaries and (ii) overtime payments up to 31 January 2012; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) (a) what (i) is the percentage of the SAPS officials who were not allocated salary increases for the 2011-12 financial year, (ii) are the reasons for this, (iii) action will be taken in this regard and (iv) measures are in place to monitor the (aa) salary payments and (bb) benefits to staff members and (b) who is responsible in this regard?