Hon Chairperson of the NCOP, hon Ministers, Deputy Ministers and provincial MECs, hon members, fellow South Africans, in the preamble of the SA Police Service Act No 68 of 1995 referring to section 205 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, a mandate clearly indicates the function of the SA Police Service, SAPS.
The Act explicitly states that SAPS is to ensure the safety and security of all persons and property in South Africa.
But 25 years in democracy every South African knows and experienced SAPS completely failed their mandate. South Africans know better. They cannot depend on the SA Police Service for the protection of their safety and security.
Afrikaans:
Alle Suid-Afrikaners kan getuig dat Wet 68 van 1995 en artikel 214 van die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika nie die papier werd is waarop dit geskryf is nie. In 'n artikel in BusinessTech, 13 Julie 2019, word
die tekort van die kapasitiet in die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens bevestig van 60 000 gemeet aan internasionale standaarde.
Dit bevestig verder hoekom die Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag in die Wes- Kaap ontplooi moet word, om bende geweld onder beheer te bring, omdat die Suid- Afrikaanse Polisie die geweld nie kan beheer nie.
Privaatsekuriteitsdienste in Suid-Afrika oorskadu die huidige Polisiediens met 2,36 miljoen geregistreerde privaatsekuriteits- offisiere.
English:
Concerns and confirmations of SAPS officers involved in criminal activities, drug pushing and involvement in corruption and fraudulent actions affects the integrity and credibility of the SA Police Service. The citizenry does not trust and respect them anymore.
Afrikaans:
Die DA verwelkom die Minister van Landbou, Landelike Ontwikkeling en Grondhervorming, Thoko Didiza, se skerp veroordeling van plaasmoorde verlede week in die Parlement. Sy het haar meegevoel met slagoffers van moorde op plase aan boere en plaaswerkers uitgespreek. Sy het
verder bevestig dat dit baie sleg vir die land se ekonomie en voedselsekuriteit is.
Alle Suid-Afrikaanse boere is uitgelewer aan 'n disfunksionele polisieerings sisteem. Hulle is oorgelaat aan hulle eie lot om verantwoordbaar te wees vir die veiligheid van hulself, hul families en hul plaas werkers. As jy nie self op 'n plaas woon nie besef niemand watter verantwoordelike impak selfbeveiliging van almal wat daar woon en werk daagliks behels nie.
English:
Hon Minister Cele, do you commit and support Hon Didiza's condemnation of farm murders and undertake to join the Police Service in commitment to the Rural Safety Strategy to return law and order within rural communities and farms in South Africa?
On Thursday 18 July 2019, another Free State emerging farmer of Frankfort, Mr Johannes Mazibuko, was murdered on the farm Waterkant. Adding another statistic to the list, another white cross on the landscape, another food producer had to pay with his life, another employer removed.
This confirms that law and order is no more, sacred life has no value, South Africans cannot depend on protection of their property or persons whether they live in a city, town, township, informal settlement, village or a farm.
Minister Cele, unfortunately the buck stops with you. You are entrusted with the power; you have the Acts and regulations, kindly do your job by enforcing implementation, ensuring compliance with the said legislation and restore law and order.
Hon Chairperson, given the facts surrounding the investigation of cases and failure to the successful prosecution of perpetrators in most cases confirms the failure of SAPS investigation processes. This reflects on poor and insufficient training. This is a system failure. It again confirms, SAPS is under trained, under capacitated and ill- disciplined in their role, functions and performance.
We need our Police Service to be professionalised. For too long, new officers have endured a period of inadequate training. Some of the simplest tasks such as certifying documents or opening a case and sending off to the prosecutor are often compromised because officers do not have the correct knowledge of basic procedure.
Some officers have very little confidence when handling a firearm, creating an even more dangerous environment for civilians when officers encounter armed criminals. There is little to no support for young or new officers in the force who engage for the first time in open fire with suspects. Often, these new officers end up gunning down criminals. But instead of efficient counselling or emotional support, they are left to deal with the trauma on their own. Let us be clear Minister, to kill another human being, whether they are a criminal or not can negatively affect the psyche of the officer. Those officers are also human and they need guidance to deal with the distress of such an experience.
The lack of specialised training and failure to retain experienced members of the force has also greatly contributed to the dismal state of our Police Service.
For one to become a warrant officer, a captain or even a major general, they need to have gained satisfactory experience and training, and only by rising through the ranks at an appropriate and stable rate, when they are deemed ready and have demonstrated the ability and knowledge to assume the new role.
The jumping or skipping of ranks does not do the South African people any justice and only further renders the demise of the service.
Corruption in SAPS is far from minimal. We have also seen blatant gatekeeping of positions, members of the force colluding with criminals and criminal networks and lack of disciplined spending. These actions sadly overshadow the hard work and dedication of the honest policemen and policewoman of the force who take their role seriously and do everything in their power to protect and serve the people of the country.
It is time Minister, for you to embark on a project of restructuring the Police Service to ensure it is compatible, competent and responsive to the crime of today. This includes trimming the top- heavy structure, by professionalising SAPS through training and retraining, providing modern equipment for police to fight criminals head-on, and changing the strategy and style of the service by creating an environment that includes a participative policing style where the police and community form strong partnerships. Reservists and volunteers must also be included in complementing a satisfactory Police Service.
Minister, for the people of South Africa, whose cries for help are often not heard, please fix our police. Our clock is ticking. I thank you. [Applause.]