Chairperson, I am certain that our discussion today will help all of us, amongst other things, to better understand the objectives and processes of the criminal justice system, and its positive and negative features. Having gained that understanding, I also believe that we would be better placed to respond to urgent and important challenges this poses without getting excited.
The steps we have taken towards vigorous and practical implementation of these strategies adopted in the policies of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Department of Safety and Security and the Department of Correctional Services, together with the suggestions that we have made relating to the fundamental issues of democracy, good governance, the recovery of human value, and peace and stability, would constitute an appropriate response to the challenges posed by the environment in which we find ourselves.
The challenge facing South Africa's criminal justice system is to protect the rights enshrined in the new Constitution, whilst ensuring public safety. I want to agree that crime in South Africa must be addressed through a practical initiative that not only has an immediate local impact, but also influences national policy. There is therefore a need to continually evaluate our strategies and to find creative and innovative ways to deal with these situations involving the increasingly sophisticated criminals.
One legacy of apartheid is that many young South Africans do not have the skills to reform the criminal justice system and, indeed, the opportunities to acquire these skills remain limited. We cannot easily forget that historically the South African criminal justice system was very corrupt and oppressive. We are therefore again challenged with becoming our own liberators from the scourge of violence and criminal behaviour of some of the members of our society.
Governance does not mean government. It means the framework of rules, institutions and established practices that set limits and give incentives for good behaviour of individuals, organisations and institutions. Without strong governance, the danger of conflict could be a reality during our time. Trade wars promote national corporate interests, uncontrolled financial volatility, which sets off civil conflicts, and untamed global crime which infects safe neighbourhoods and criminalises politics and politicians, business and the whole of the justice system.
The fight against crime and the creation of a just society based on principles of equality and freedom are a collective responsibility of a responsible society. Crime and criminality are a menace against which all of us should close ranks, and one which we must confront head-on.
This Parliament passed the Prevention of Organised Crime Act in 1998 and, as a product of this Act, the office of the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions, together with other structures, such as the Asset Forfeiture Unit, etc were established. The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development has referred to these structures.
This was indeed a brilliant innovation by our Government. By this we sent and continue to send a clear message to the organised criminals that South Africa will not tolerate any kind of corruption, especially the activities of the kingpins of these criminal syndicates. We would like to commend the Ministers for instituting and leading a successful prosecuting regime that found a collaborative solution which helped prosecutors to lead investigations, bring cases to trial and win convictions by working with the police and communities in partnership against crime.
We stand here to commend the department for the good work it has done. We are all aware that the road has not been easy from many angles, such as the structures of the justice system, where some of the judges have shown their reluctance to implement these initiatives, because, among other things, they viewed some of these laws as draconian, and that includes some hon members who also joined forces with them, saying that some of the laws were unconstitutional.
I am indeed heartened by the uncompromising attitude of both the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Safety and Security, who are prepared to take the war to the boardrooms, bars, bedrooms and lounges of criminals. I also want to express our unwavering support to the Ministers for their principle of zero-percent tolerance for criminality in our country. Criminals must, in the words of Minister Tshwete, indeed be suffocated and allowed no space in our society.
We welcome the initiatives and strategies adopted in identifying flash point areas where there is a high level of crime and making a deliberate effort to deploy resources in those areas and flush out criminals. I am indeed happy to announce here that during constituency weeks, when I am in the province, I do visit certain police stations, talk to station commanders and ask them how we can lend our assistance in dealing with crime.
As I am talking to members, we are having a crime summit in one of the villages in Mpumalanga next week to discuss this whole question of crime. This is indeed an initiative of a station commander. We invited to this summit police, prosecutors, magistrates, political formations, local councillors, NGOs, CBOs, business, taxi associations, principals, traditional leaders and religious leaders. The purpose of this summit is to attempt to get all and sundry to discuss the crime issue, and together to find a solution to get rid of crime. We believe that this approach and others will indeed work.
As a result of other innovative efforts between ourselves as politicians and communities certain fruits are being reaped by our communities. Some of the criminals have already been exposed and are behind bars and others will still be arrested.
In conclusion, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our men in uniform, as well as our women in uniform, Commissioner Selebi in his uniform this afternoon in our Chamber, Minister Maduna and his directors- general, the Minister of Safety and Security, the Department of Correctional Services, Minister Skosana and his director-general, and all our officials who have until now made us proud as South Africans. I want to say here, from the NCOP, that we are indeed behind them in all their efforts. They should please gain strength in the knowledge that millions of South Africans out there, including our neighbouring countries, are looking to them to keep our country clean and uninfected. [Applause.]