Voorsitter, ek het verneem dat die agb Minister vanoggend met die trein gery het van Khayelitsha en Gugulethu, ensovoorts, en ek aanvaar dit is 'n beeldbou-aksie wat hy onderneem het sodat die publiek van Suid-Afrika vertroue kan kry in die SA Polisiediens.
Ek wil vir die agb Minister s dat hy elke oggend met die trein kan ry, maar een insident van polisiebrutaliteit skaad die beeld van die polisie sodanig dat die publiek nie vertroue kan h in die polisie nie, ten spyte van daardie manne en vroue in uniform wat hul bes doen om misdaad te bekamp. Ek wil vir die agb Minister s dat daar basies net twee hoofredes vir polisiebrutaliteit is. Dit is swak dissipline en swak opleiding. As u nie daaraan behoorlik aandag gee nie, gaan ek vir u s, gaan daar nog Marikanas wees wat die beeld van nie net die polisie nie, maar van Suid- Afrika, sal skaad. U sal dringend aandag daaraan moet gee, agb Minister.
Die agb Minister het hier gekom en ges dat die statistiek in terme van ons misdaad 'n afname toon. U is reg - in sommige daarvan - maar die misdaad wat die meeste gevrees word deur mense in Suid-Afrika is rooftogte by woonhuise. Dit is waar hulle veronderstel is om veilig te wees saam met hul vrouens, kinders en gesinne. Sedert 2005 is daar 'n toename van 78,5% in die gevalle van rooftogte by woonhuise. Ons moet nie onsself laat mislei as daar sommige geweldsmisdade is wat statisties afneem nie. Die mense van Suid-Afrika voel onveilig in hul eie huise.
Dan wil ek vir die agb Minister s dat hy dringend sal moet ingryp, want dit is ook deel van die oplossing van misdaad en die totale strafregstelsel in Suid-Afrika. In die portefeuljekomitee het ons gehoor dat 22 247 speurders meer as 'n miljoen sake het wat hul moet ondersoek. Die gevolg is dat slegs 55% van dossiere werklik opgestel word om hierdie geweldsmisdade te ondersoek. Daarvan is minder as 15% hofgereed, waar 'n verhoor kan plaasvind. Dit beteken 'n misdadiger het 'n ongeveer 85% kans om in Suid- Afrika weg te kom met misdaad. Ons sal daadwerklik moet optree, agb Minister. Anders s ek vir u dat u die beeld van elke lid van die polisie skaad. U skaad die beeld van Suid-Afrika. Mense voel onveilig, en hulle sal nie vertroue h in die SA Polisiediens nie. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Chairperson, I learned that the hon Minister travelled from Khayalitsha and Gugulethu and so on this morning and I accept that it was an image-building exercise which he undertook in order to boost the trust of the public in South Africa in the SA Police Service.
I would like to tell the hon Minister that he can travel by train every morning but one incident of police brutality damages the image of the police in such a way that the public cannot trust the police, in spite of those men and women in uniform who do their best to fight crime. I would like to tell the hon Minister that there are basically only two reasons for police brutality. It is poor discipline and poor training. If you do not pay proper attention to it, I can tell you, there will be more Marikanas, which will not only damage the image of the police but that of South Africa. You will have to deal with it urgently, hon Minister. The hon Minister came here and told us that statistics regarding crime indicate a decrease. You are partly correct- but the crime which people in South Africa fear the most is robberies at residential premises. Their homes are where they are supposed to be safe together with their wives, children and families. Since 2005, there was an increase of 78,5% in the incidence of robberies at residential premises. We should not allow ourselves to be misled if there is a decrease in certain violent crimes statistically. The people of South Africa feel unsafe in their own homes.
I would also like to tell the hon Minister that he will have to intervene urgently, because this is also part of the solution to crime and for the entire criminal justice system in South Africa. In the Portfolio Committee we learned that 22 247 detectives have more than a million cases to investigate. The result is that in reality only 55% of dossiers are compiled to investigate these violent crimes. Of these, less than 15% are ready to be used in court should a trial commence. That implies that a criminal has an 85% chance of getting away with crime in South Africa. We need resolute action, hon Minister. Otherwise I say to you that you are damaging the image of every member of the police. You are damaging the image of South Africa. People feel unsafe, and they won't have trust in the SA Police Service. I thank you. [Applause.]]