Hon Chairperson, Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, chairperson of the select committee, Mr Mofokeng, hon members, SA Police Service management and staff in the Ministry of Police, in the past few weeks the SA Police Service has been engaged in simulation activities throughout the country. These activities were meant to showcase to the South African public and the world at large the preparedness of the Police Service to serve and service the country with regard to curbing any eventualities that might arise during the Fifa 2010 World Cup. Plans were submitted by all provinces to the national office outlining, with all due attention to detail, how South Africa will guarantee a safer World Cup.
We want to assure the country and the world that we are ready for the World Cup. Soccer fans should just bring out the swag in their supporters' colours, get their vuvuzelas and rehearse their "diski dance" for this august spectacle event.
We are an activist government, dedicated to action and not rhetoric. As the hon President already alluded to, 2010 is the year of working together to speed up effective service delivery to the people. As the SA Police Service, we are saying that together we can do more in the fight against crime. The time to kiss, hug and massage crime lapsed last year; a new cadre police officer took over.
Our message to these criminals who have turned themselves into illustrious warriors of our time is that, just like the mighty Napoleon finally met his defeat, you too are about to meet your Waterloo. We have arrived in full steam to clean criminals off our streets and malls, and to instil fear in their hearts and minds. This is dedicated by the nature of the crime we witnessed in the previous years, specifically in 2006. It was so lethally dangerous and aggravating that it resulted in a call by some members of society for military intervention. We then said that we need to sharpen our instruments.
"Washa Tsotsi" is a clarion call to action; an action to dig out a tsotsi from his hiding hole and channel him to prison where he rightfully belongs. It is a clarion call to tsotsis [criminals] to wet their pants before they attempt anything. Throughout last year we spoke and made commitments to the nation that we will sharpen and strengthen any legislative loopholes to rid ourselves of traitors against goodwill in society.
We did say, hon members, that the Independent Complaints Directorate, IDC, should bite; the secretariat should assume shape and the Criminal Procedure Act should be attended to; and a single police force should be ushered in to operate under one command. We expressed our unrelenting commitment to realise a safe country where children are able to play and live a clean life without fear of rape or molestation; a country where women are free to walk at any time of the day or night without fear or abuse. For these reasons, the police should be empowered to fight for the weaker within our society. That's why we say "asijiki" - forward we go, backward never.
If we are to win this battle, we will need policemen and women who can flank crime and crush it like eggs. The kind of policemen and women we had needed some serious attention to ensure that we were equal to the task. We needed personnel with integrity, a cadre police officer who'll deliver us from tsotsis. From the 2006 crime backdrop, we invaded the crime space with the ferocity of a cornered bull and the agility of a cat. In this offensive, we were mindful of existing laws governing our country that needed our careful observation while executing our task.
Crime is not a friend of man or woman, but is an enemy of life. South Africa currently has fared well in terms of crime reduction, as showcased by the successful operations during the peak period of the 2009 festive season in particular.
Minister and hon members, credit should be given where it is due. I am humbled to stand here today to congratulate the efforts employed during the 2009 festive season launch of Operation Duty Calls. The police embarked on various visible policing operations countrywide and interacted with communities, business and various organised structures with the objective of intensifying our fight against crime. During this period, we witnessed and experienced a significant decline in various crimes including cash-in- transit heists, armed robberies, housebreakings, robberies and business robberies - particularly business robberies. When we started with our operations, our message to these gun-toting criminals was clear.
The former President, Nelson Mandela, on the occasion of his inauguration said:
A person who does what any other person does, is an ordinary person. A person who does what no other person can do, is an exception, but a person who has done what no other person has ever done, is an institution, a national asset . . . and a hero. This is a person about whom, when he or she dies, we will be able to say that here lies a man or woman who has played his or her role in society.
This quote is fitting today, because we want national heroes and heroines. We want national assets and institutions in our country in the fight against crime. We need a cadre in the fight against crime. We are therefore saying to all members of society that they should stand up and be counted in the fight against crime.
Vital tools that support the implementation of the crime prevention strategies include sector policing, reservists and community police forums. These tools assist in the monitoring and assessment of the police officer. We are in the process of also assisting with the issue of redefining and remodelling the role of community police forums, where they will no longer be tea-ladies and "stuur-boys" [messangers] at the police stations. This will result, among other things, in a national consensus on the structural and operational outlook of these community police forums, including their relations with the provincial government and other stakeholders in the fight against crime. It will do away with inconsistencies and departures from the norm, as is currently the case in the Western Cape.
A national task team was established during the reservists' summit, to consider employment-related matters and facilitate the recruitment of qualifying reservists as permanent employees of the SA Police Service. Recruitment drives were conducted in all nine provinces and a total of 2 733 reservists were recruited as SA Police Service members and 532 were recruited as the Public Service Act requires.
There are however, some unbecoming expectations harboured by some who failed to meet the minimum requirements. They are now trying to turn this process into a "pass one, pass all" scenario. Our voice in this regard has consistently been loud and clear, that every reservist will be recruited into the SA Police Service based on merit and full compliance with the stipulated criteria.
The tactical response teams are existing in the cluster police stations and in international airports. Currently, there are 711 members trained and deployed in various clusters and airports. They have shown a clear visibility in high crime spots too, especially at shopping malls where these criminals have been mercilessly opening fire and killing innocent people.
This necessitated urgent attention, informed by the fact that 70% of aggravated robberies are committed with firearms or firearms become the weapon of choice. We then adopted a comprehensive strategy to address the circulation and easy availability of these firearms and ammunition. We are also thankful for the support given to the police by Parliament last year in declaring 11 January 2010 to 11 April 2010 to be a firearms amnesty period, through the constitutional powers vested in and accorded to the Minister of Police.
South Africa has a significant pool of illegal firearms in circulation, which contributes to a high rate of serious and violent crime. The sources of these illegal firearms range from being stolen from members of the public to being illegally smuggled into the country through our borders. A lot was achieved during this process with members of the community voluntarily surrendering for destruction licensed firearms through the process prescribed in the Firearms Control Act Regulations, and, also assisted in allowing those who missed the cutoff date for relicensing to license their weapons in terms of the Firearms Control Act.
We are encouraged and happy that 46 262 weapons were received through our police stations as a result of the amnesty period, and that 12 179 of these were illegal and 27 119 were legal firearms voluntarily surrendered. And during this period again 6 964 weapons were confiscated by the police.
Hon members, it should also be noted that some in this society we live in had negative sentiments about this amnesty process. They even went on to encourage people not to heed the call.
Unfortunately for them, South Africans are responsible and cannot be dragged back by those with the evil intention of encouraging a society where a person wields a gun unnecessarily. And our people have responded positively to this particular campaign, by enriching it through their participation, throughout the stipulated period. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
UMntwana M M M ZULU: Sihlalo, mhlonishwa Ngqongqoshe nePhini lakho, ozakwethu amalungu aleNdlu, abasebenzi boMnyango wezokuphepha kuleli lizwe abakhona, ngiyanibingelela.
Sihlalo, umhlonishwa uNgqongqoshe nozakwabo kufuneka bazi ukuthi umbutho wamaphoyisa yiwona ovikela ubugebengu ezweni kanye nodlame olusuke lubhekiswe kwizakhamuzi zakulelo lizwe. Ngiyabancoma ukuthi babhekene nomsebenzi omkhulu wokuphepha kwabo bonke abantu ezweni, ukuvikelwa kwezimpahla zomphakathi, kanye nokuqashwa kwayo yonke imingcele yezwe lethu.
Siyi-IFP siyababongela odadewethu ababuthwe njengamaphoyisa alelizwe, nabafowethu abakhona embuthweni ngokwenza umsebenzi wokuphepha kulelizwe uphumelele. Kunezinto ezithile engithanda ukuzibeka mhlonishwa ukuthi amaphoyisa awekho phezu komthetho, nawo aphethwe uMthethosisekelo wezwe.
Into eyenzeke laphaya ekhaya KwaNongoma, lapho kwahlaselwa khona abantu nabafazi babantu bahanjiswa nqunu emagcekeni. Lokho kwenzeke nakumina uqobo, emzini kababomkhulu - iNkosi yasoSuthu uMangobe - ingonyama yezwe lamaZulu. Lapho bangikhipha khona, ngahamba nqunu. Lokho kuyinto engamukelekile ezweni ukuthi amaphoyisa aziphathe ngalolo hlobo. Ngathi uma ngiya kumphathi siteshi wathi akawaphethe, nawo uma ngikhuluma nawo athi awaphethwe nguyena, aphethwe ePitoli.
Ngithi-ke kufanele nikubheke ukuthi uma singumbutho owodwa wamaphoyisa onoNgqongqoshe oyedwa noSekela Ngqongqoshe oyedwa, kodwa sibe nezinkinga zokuthi laba bantu bangalawuleki. Umnyango wakho kufanele ukubheke ukuthi ngabe labo bantu bangabantu abafanele yini ukugada ukuphepha ezweni ngoba ngibona benezinhloso zabo.
Ngithi ukuziphatha yinto okufanele ibekhona emaphoyiseni, kanti nathi singumphakathi kufanele sisebenzisane ngokubambisana nawo amaphoyisa ekulweni nodlame. Okunye engiye ngikubuke ukuthi njengoba kuthiwa akudutshulwe bese kubuzwa imibuzo kamumva, yinto ezingayenza izigebengu ezifana nalezo ezingenamabheji, nezimoto ezihamba ngazo ezingenalutho, zigqekeze amagede abantu, zingene endlini.
Ngiyazi ukuthi ngeke ngisikhiphe isibhamu bengenzanga izinhlelo ezithile zokuthi ngisikhiphe. Kodwa akufanele siphindwe ngehlazo lokuhamba nqunu ngoba singeke sikwazi ukuzivikela. Lokho kuhlokoloza umphakathi, ngoba ngiyafisa ukuthi umphakathi ubambisane namaphoyisa.
Ngifisa ukuncoma ukuthi laphaya ngakithi kunezigebengu ezibamba inkunzi ematekisini - niphezu kwazo impela. Lokho enikwenzayo kungumsebenzi omkhulu ngoba lezi zigebengu kufanele ziqoqwe ziye endaweni yazo, ngoba akuzifanele ukuhlala nabantu. Ngoba, uma singavikela abantu abafana nalabo ngabe senza into embi kabi. Lokhu angikusho ngoba ngiseqenjini elithize, kodwa ngikusho ngoba noMntwana uZeblon Zulu kuleya Ndlu enye, angakutshela ukuthi yizinto ezenzekayo KwaNongoma lezi.
Siyi-IFP siyaseseka ngokuphelele lesi sabelomalo. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] (Translation of isiZulu speech follows.)
[Prince M M M ZULU: Hon Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, our colleagues who are members of this House and members of the Department of Police who are present here, I greet you all.
Hon Chairperson, the hon Minister and his colleagues are supposed to know that the police force prevents crime as well as violence directed at the citizens of a country. I salute them because they are faced with the major task of ensuring the safety of all the people of the country and protecting public property, as well as monitoring all the borders of our country. As the IFP we congratulate our fellow sisters who are police officers, and the men who are also in the force, for making the duty of policing a success in this country. There are certain issues that I would like to highlight, sir, such as that police officers are not above the law; they are also governed by the Constitution of the country.
What happened there at my hometown in KwaNongoma, where people were attacked and other people's wives were made to parade outside naked, happened to me too. In the homestead of Mangobe the King of Usuthu, the King of the Zulu nation, I was taken out of the house, and made to parade naked. It is unacceptable in this country for police officers to behave in this manner. I went to lay a complaint with the station commander, but he said that he is not in charge of them, and when I talked to them they said they are not under his command, but that they report to Pretoria.
Hence what I am saying is that we are the same police force with the same Minister and the same Deputy Minister, but we have a problem with these people who are uncontrollable. Your department needs to check whether those people are suitable to ensure safety in the country because I presume they have their own agendas.
Good behaviour should prevail in the police force and as the community we should work collectively with the police force in fighting violence. I have also observed that as a result of the instruction to police officers to shoot first and ask questions later, the criminals without badges do the same. They have unmarked cars, which they use when breaking into and entering people's houses.
I know that I will not give them my gun before they apply certain tactics. But we should not experience the humiliation of parading naked again because we cannot protect ourselves. That provokes the community, and my wish is for the community to work hand in hand with the police.
I wish to commend you for tracking those criminals in my hometown who are robbing people in the taxis. You are doing a great job because these criminals must be arrested and placed where they belong, because they are not meant to be part of society. If we protect these criminals we would be doing an injustice to society. I do not say this as a member of a certain party, but I say this because even Prince Zeblon Zulu can attest to the fact that these robberies do take place at KwaNongoma.
As the IFP we fully support this Budget Vote. Thank you. [Applause.]]