The Department of Police, for ages now, has been receiving unqualified audit opinions from the Auditor-General. [Interjections.] This simply means they have systems in place that they are using to control and to manage their funds, and that is a fact.
The budget allocated to the police over the last 17 years, together with the ANC policy of fighting crime in partnership with communities, has started to have the desired effect on crime levels. This is a fact. The 2010 crime statistics are proof of what I am saying. They show that crime in South Africa is decreasing.
Political parties who continue to raise the issue of the Public Protector's report here today are undermining the work of the Public Protector, as she herself has said. They are also undermining the work of Parliament and may, indeed, be acting unethically and unlawfully themselves. I would refer members of this House to the clause in section 7(2) of the Public Protector Act, which says:
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any law, no person shall disclose to any other person the contents of any document in the possession of a member of the Office of the Public Protector or the record of any evidence given before the Public Protector, a Deputy Public Protector or a person contemplated in subsection 3(b) during an investigation, unless the Public Protector determines otherwise.
While the Act allows Parliament to discuss any matter that is before or being investigated by the Public Protector, discussing the Public Protector's findings that are unlawfully leaked to the media by faceless and unscrupulous people is unfair. The ANC will support this Budget Vote. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Division demanded.
The House divided: