Hon Deputy Speaker, hon Ministers, hon members, comrades and fellow South Africans, the ANC's 2007 Polokwane conference resolved to strengthen the Independent Complaints Directorate. This Independent Police Investigative Directorate Bill is doing exactly that. For this to happen we need an independent police investigative directorate that is efficient, strong, and has teeth to bite and crush.
My role today is to inform hon members about and persuade them to support the Bill. In persuading the hon members, I will deal in some detail with some of the provisions of the Bill. The Bill talks about the establishment of a national office headed by an executive director. In accordance with the Public Service Act, the Minister will nominate a suitably qualified candidate for appointment to head the directorate. The hon Minister will then allow the committee to confirm or reject the appointment within 30 days.
The appointment is for a term of five years and is renewable for one additional term only. This is important for grooming the new broom and to also let it exit in a dignified manner while it still sweeps clean. Hon members should pay keen attention to this. I will detail it later. The head has a huge responsibility to carry out. He or she must ensure, amongst others, that proper records of all financial transactions, assets and liabilities of the directorate are kept. The executive director is also responsible for the appointment of provincial heads when there are vacancies.
It is also fitting to mention the composition of the national office. It will consist of the executive director, the corporate service unit, the investigation and information unit, the legal unit and any other unit established subject to the approval of the hon Minister, Nathi Mthethwa.
The functions of the national office are critical and must be mentioned. The national office must do the following: give strategic leadership to the directorate; conduct internal audits of the directorate; provide administrative support; submit an annual report to the Minister and Parliament; refer criminal offences to the National Prosecuting Authority, NPA; and refer complaints regarding disciplinary matters to the national commissioner and, where appropriate, to relevant provincial commissioners, to mention but a few.
The Bill allows for the establishment of a management committee that consists of provincial heads. The executive director may invite any person he or she deems fit to the meeting of the committee. The committee will, amongst others, ensure co-ordination and alignment within each province regarding priorities, objectives and strategies across national and provincial levels, and it will also ensure adherence to financial requirements prescribed in terms of the Public Finance Management Act.
The committee will also indentify other matters of strategic importance to the functioning of the directorate within each province. These interventions are appropriate for the speedy and efficient establishment of a single police entity as resolved in Polokwane.
The Bill also provides for the establishment of a consultative forum to facilitate closer co-operation between the civilian secretary and the executive director to discuss issues relating to trends, recommendations and the implementation of such recommendations. The meetings of the forum must be held at least four times per year. This is important because there is no guesswork as to when and how many meetings should be held. The committee will monitor and get reports. This is business unusual.
It is true that the Bill provides for the establishment of provincial offices with provincial heads at the top. He or she will be responsible for the appointment and performance management of the staff. The head will control and monitor active cases and ensure adherence to guidelines issued by the national office relating to investigation and the management of cases by officials within their respective provinces. I thank you. [Applause.]