Minister and hon members, the Police Budget Vote remains the most critical Vote, because policing in South Africa is a constitutionally directed function. For the wheels of democracy to turn, the police must maintain law and order and educate those who are wandering and trapped by crime. When crime besieges our people, we call upon the SA Police Service to defend us. As citizens, we are indeed indebted to the men and the women in blue of the SAPS.
During the Fifa World Cup, the police made our country proud; whether it was en route to the stadia or inside the stadia, the men and women in blue were visible. Their visibility became a deterrent to crime. This, of course, must continue to ensure the safety of all South Africans on a daily basis.
The police budget has grown over the years. Additional police personnel have been appointed and trained for this constitutional requirement. This year's budget has also grown to over R58 billion. Cope supports this function. We believe that all of us must respect policing and support the police, as we know their task is a difficult but necessary one.
Minister, this Budget Vote covers five priority areas, but owing to time, I am not going to go into them. We have no issue with the priorities per se. However, we have issues with the details and the programmes in place to achieve the desired results. I know, Minister, that you have a challenging task to keep this force in check at all times. But when you see or when you smell a rat, you must act. Hiding behind transparent glass does not help you with your constitutional responsibility. In fact, it worsens it.
Cope believes that the SA Police Service must remain independent of all political manouvering. We warn, and we give warning, to the government: Do not politicise the police; do not draw the police into party-political battles; and do not use the professional men and women in blue to battle against those who are alleged to have committed crimes. We believe that everything that does not comply with our laws, be it tendering, corruption, drug-trafficking, money-laundering and use of high office to manipulate tenders, warrants police action. When no action is taken, South Africans are stunned and come to the conclusion that it is okay to commit crime, violate the tendering process or use privileged information for self- serving agendas.
All South Africans want to see a reduction in crime and this must, of course, be seen and felt in all our neighbourhoods. When we have senior police officials or officers accused of being involved in crime, South Africans give up hope. We lose trust in the police, our supposed protectors. We worry that through these violations we might get a night visitation and not see the next day.
When the Police Minister hides behind transparent glass and does not act, we are terrified. When the so-called heavyweights run amok in Correctional Services by enriching themselves through tenders, and when some people are deployed to higher office, we know the game is over.
Regarding the Scorpions and the Constitutional Court judgment, we can only say that we said so. Today we ask the Minister through this debate: Will you uphold the supreme law of our country, the Constitution, and implement it? Will the Minister act against police officials who do the wrong things? Will the Minister do something practical to stop and avert the destruction of policing in South Africa, thereby upholding the democratic state and the Constitution? We want to support this Budget Vote because we know that policing is a constitutional requirement. Policing is a good thing for our democracy. We will await your answers to the questions we posed. Thank you.