Chair, I think I've made my point because of these former senior members of the previous security forces. Let me get on with my speech, Chair.
Speaking at the Freedom Day celebration on 27 April 1998, former President Mandela said, and I quote:
When we gathered here on the Grand Parade in February 1990, we knew that our march to freedom was irreversible, that nothing could stop our dream of a free South Africa coming true. The people had opened the prison doors and we knew that it would not be long before we found the way to peace and democracy.
Former President Mandela went on to say -
Our freedom is also incomplete, dear compatriots, as long as we are denied our security by the criminals who prey upon our communities; who rob our businesses and undermine our economy; who ply their destructive trade in drugs in our schools; who do violence against our women and children.
Yesterday, many countries on our continent celebrated Africa Day in commemoration of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, OAU, established in Addis Ababa on 25 May 1963. The OAU had, as its central task, the promotion of peace, unity and co-operation across the national borders of our continent.
Some of the key elements of the principles of that unity were picked up by the former President, Thabo Mbeki, in his opening address at the launch in Durban on 9 July 2002 of the African Union, AU, the successor of the OAU. He said, among other things:
As Africans, we have come to understand that there can be no sustainable development without peace, without security and without stability .. We must end the senseless conflicts and wars on our continent which have caused so much pain and suffering to our people and turned many of them into refugees and displacees and forced others into exile. We must accept that dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts are the only way to guarantee enduring peace and stability for our people.
Crime, more especially its violent nature, presents one of the paramount challenges to development, because beyond the direct effect of victims, violent crime inflicts widespread costs, generating a climate of fear for all citizens and diminishing economic growth.
As a result of this and other factors, some scholars and researchers have argued that crime is the number one social problem. It is quite correct that the high level of violent crime remains our greatest challenge. Working together, we can and must do more in the fight against crime.
During the 52nd national conference of the African National Congress in Polokwane, we resolved that young people must also be involved in a massive programme of community policing and safety that would include night street patrols; and have stipends paid by government as part of the national youth service to instil in our youth the value of serving and protecting communities and public property. There is a need for a firm resolution on social crime prevention.
In this regard, the police Ministry needs to intensify the implementation of all crime prevention strategies, including local crime prevention plans. Community safety forums throughout the country should continually be established and strengthened. These forums will assist a great deal in the implementation of a structured multi-agency approach to crime prevention initiatives at the local level.
In many communities where people work together with the police, levels of crime have gone down. Let me also remind the former members, through you, Chair, that it is the United Democratic Front that brought communities together in the 80s, when we wanted to defend ourselves against those former brutal police forces, which were organised against the people of this country.
It is a reality that they were assisting criminals to kill our own people when we started forming street committees and dealing with those issues. I wanted to remind the member that today we are saying communities must come together and work with the police because this is the new police force; it is not the one that acted against our own people.
That is the situation we are talking about. We are bringing back issues that were implemented during the 80s; issues that made sure that our own communities that are taking care of their own safety are being assisted by the police. [Interjections.]