Chairperson, hon Minister, I think we must all accept today that there is a major concern - and I am sure the Minister must also have that concern as well - that there are still too many people dying as a result of violent acts in our country. I am sure that that is an area which we all have to address - the department and yourself, Minister. But we, as opposition parties, must also strive to bring down the levels of crimes in our nation.
Maybe I should just mention a couple of things. I know that the budget is a good one but there are certain areas that I think need to be highlighted. There is a marked improvement in the way in which crimes are being investigated. Too many criminals are still getting away with crimes that they commit, especially murder, because of the kind of investigative procedures.
We believe that it will also be necessary to intensify training and retraining throughout the service, and instil respect for authority and duty. Our policemen and policewomen are trained but we don't think that their training is being maintained throughout their service. We believe that strict standards must be applied in recruiting top calibre personnel, thereby improving the image and standards of the service. Improvement in the conditions of service will also be necessary.
I know, hon Minister, you corrected us with regard to salaries. You corrected that perspective, but I still think that the conditions of service must be protected or be improved. Policing is an essential service, therefore the right to strike is a problem and we must ensure that policemen must be taught that that is not a right that they can exercise.
Investigations into organised crime, gangsterism and high-level fraud must be carried out using the expertise of successful operators throughout the world, and there should be strict control of arms. I heard you saying that we have too many guns in our society. I agree, hon Minister, we must get rid of the guns in our society, especially the illegal ones.