Thank you hon Chairperson, greetings to the hon Minister of police, hon Minister of justice, to the Deputy Minister present and to all Members, let's first welcome and support the declaration by the department of justice for the magistrates' court in Dimbaza. In the Eastern Cape, EC, the Department of Safety has shown its critical importance by ensuring community safety as well as political stability in the province, through its role in support of economic drive and agro-economy by addressing the challenges of stock theft and service delivery protest respectively. Following the mandate as stipulated in the constitution of South Africa in Section 206 (3).
The South African Police, SAPS, visibility played a very strategic role during this time with minimal loss of life during these protests. Cults posing as churches have once again plucked the EC province and we still say and maintain that, if the government at all spheres doesn't come together to fight the emergency of these churches, we will end up with something that we cannot define as the country. Domestic violence in all its shapes and forms remains a challenge, especially in the rural environment of our province. We need to capacitate the vulnerable groups through awareness campaigns, education, and strong partnerships especially with the
Department of Social Development as they are better resourced to address this scourge than our own department.
Illegal circumcision has also been a challenge in our province and it is one of the critical arrears that we are now focussing as the Department of safety, where we have partnerships with traditional leaders, the moral regeneration movement and the Department of Health, to save the lives of our young people. I'm proud to say that the Eastern Cape Department of Safety and liaison, has been able to build strong bonds and partnerships with the Kingdoms, through the establishment and launches of traditional policing models. This model was launched and Nqadu Great Place, by the minister of police, hon Bheki Cele and the MEC for safety, hon Weziwe Tikana. She further rolled out at Mnqesha,Mbumbane, Nyandeni and Qamatha Great Place. This roll out included resources allocated to kingdoms with each provided with 24 hour front line service centre and victim friendly rooms for victims of gender based violence.
A mobile police station that will go around to villages that are far from police stations, and there are police vans attached to the Kingdoms. This aims to take police services to the people as we know that our province is very scattered and at times people end up not reporting crimes because they live very far from police stations,
therefore, we have brought the service closer to the people. The EC institutions of higher learning are plucked by the scourges of drugs and alcohol abuse. This has led to an increase in incidents of rape, sexual harassment and gender based violence.
There were also isolated incidents of murder at Walter Sisulu University. The negotiations with these institutions of higher learning, Nelson Mandela University, Walter Sisulu University and University of Fort Hare, have shown better results because they are arrears of agreements for partnerships in trying to circumvent more incidents from happening and to also have a joint program. Our crime prevention programmes and community engagements have also shown us communication gab between SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority with the victims of various crimes.
The establishment of justice and correctional services, police and social development cluster should be a priority, as it is a vehicle that has an ability to close the gap. Our gender based violence programmes are making a positive impact very slowly due to limited resources and weak partnerships. The EC has 197 police stations and two thirds of them are in the rural arrears, hence the establishment of kingdoms, which will assist us at great length. The state of our rural police stations have negatively contributed to the partial and
none compliance of SAPS to domestic violence Act requirements. Even though we have these 197 police stations, one is still in the pipeline and we would like to applaud the minister of police because it's a commitment that was made in the 5th administration and now we see its fruition.
Our anti-drugs strategy has been focused in the northern arrears in the Nelson Mandela region. Its also yielding positive results. However, our research has shown that the scourge of gang and drugs have now expanded to the rural environment. The department will ensure that this strategy is revised in order to address the rest of the province. Positive and speedily results have been achieved through joined efforts by all law enforcement agencies. This is an approach that must be strengthened going forward. I must also mention that, last week, as part of the re-enforcement on the anti- gang strategy, in the Nelson Mandela region we did receive vehicles from the National department which are part of fighting gangs that are out of hand in the northern areas.
The partnership with NYD has assisted a great deal on the capacitating of out of school and unemployed youth through training programs on entrepreneurship as well as the training of front-line young constables on emotional intelligence. This has helped these
constables with treating our fellow citizens with dignity and respect. Sports against crime remain an important tool in keeping our youth active, thus preventing them from engaging in unlawful activities. The EC province will launch a campus safety model at mainstream institutions of higher learning during the first financial year in order to bring back law and order in these institutions. It has already started the process of docket analysis in order to establish as to why cases get thrown off the court roll, especially cases of gender based violence and domestic violence. Public education on crime prevention has been prioritised in partnership with all spheres of government especially the Department of Basic Education.
As indicated, the department will focus on police needs and priorities to ensure sound capacitating of rural police stations. Our partnership with moral regeneration movement will surely place us in a position to re- establish sound ethics, morals within our communities and bring on board more social partners in crime prevention especially among the youth. The problem of undocumented foreign nationals is on the rise in our area. It further makes policing very difficult as alleged perpetrators are not traceable and if you go to most of our municipalities especially our Central Business District, CBD, arrears, they are all over. The challenge
remains with the in the partnership with local municipalities to scourge the growth around the arrears.
In conclusion, the department of safety and liaison remains a critical department in assisting the province on economic transformation, ensuring that our citizens are and feel safe through ensuring that our schools are also safe places of learning through the safety patrol programme. Thank you