Modulasetulo, Ditona, Batlatsaditona, maloko a a tlotlegang, baeng ba tlotlo, Lefapha la Sepodisi, ntetleng go le dumedisa. Mokgatlho wa ANC o rotloetsa maloko otlhe a Ntlo e, gore ke nako ya go tshwaraganya matsogo kgatlhanong le bosenyi. Fa re dira mmogo,re ka dira go le gontsi mme re ka tokafatsa matshelo a batho ba rona. Bosenyi ga bo na melelwane ya sepolotiki, motlotlegi Kohler-Barnard. Fa sesenyi se tlhasela, ga se ka ke sa go botsa mokgatlho wa gago pele.Se tlhasela fela. [Legofi.]
Independent Complaints Directorate, ICD, e ka re thusa go lwantsha bosenyi le go tsamaisa dilo sentle mo Lefapheng la Sepodisi sa Aforika Borwa. Kantoro ya me ya kgaolotlhopho e mo motsesetoropong wa Ga-Rankuwa, mo mmasepaleng wa Tshwane, mme fa re bua ka ICD batho ba botsa gore ke eng seo. Potso ke gore fa ba kwa motsesetoropong ba sa itse, ba kwa magaeng bona? ICD e na le tiro ya go dira gore e itsege mo bathong ba rona. Se sengwe gape ba tshwanetse go nna le lefelo la go amogela megala gore batho ba rona ba le fitlhelele.
Le fa dintsho mo dikgolegong di fokotsega, se se tshwenyang ke gore dingwe tsa tsona di diragala fa bagolegwa ba ikaletsa ka dilo di tshwana le mapanta le dikgojana tsa ditlhako; dilo tse di sa tshwanelang go tsena ka fa kgolegelong. Se, se supa go tlhoka tlhokomelo ya sepodisi, mme ICD e tshwanetse go tiisa letsogo. (Translation of Setswana paragraphs follows.)
[Ms M A MOLEBATSI: Chairperson, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, hon members, honourable guests, Department of Police, allow me to greet you all. The ANC encourages all members of this House to work together against crime. If we work together, we can do more and can improve the lives of our people. Hon Kohler-Barnard, crime has no political boundaries. When a criminal attacks, he does not ask you which party you belong to, he just attacks.
The Independent Complaints Directorate, ICD, can help us to fight crime and ensure that things are properly managed in the SA Police Service. My constituency office is in Ga-Rankuwa township, in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, and when we talk about the ICD people ask what it is. The concern is that if those in the township don't know what the ICD is, what about those in the rural areas? Another thing is that they should have a call centre to enable people to reach it.
Even though there is a decline in prison deaths, it is disturbing to learn that some are still occurring, with prisoners using things such as belts and shoelaces to hang themselves; things that are prohibited from entering prison. The ICD must try to tighten things up as this shows negligence on the side of the police.]
As stated in the state of the nation address by the President of the Republic, crimes against women and children, amongst others, are regarded as priority crimes. The state of the nation address demonstrates that there is a relationship between government and the ANC electorate. This relationship must find expression in Budget Vote 20, to ensure that government addresses the needs of the poor masses. The ANC election manifesto calls for the need to strengthen protection of women and children by law-enforcement agencies.
The ICD and the SA Police Service have a complementary mandate to combat crime, particularly crimes against women and children. The complementary mandate derives its roots from the ANC document called Policing the Transition, which maps out how best police practices can be improved in a democratic South Africa in order to ensure efficiency and accountability. The appointment of a permanent head of department is crucial. This department cannot go on operating with an acting head.
The core legislative mandate of the ICD, as stated in section 53 of the SA Police Service Act, Act 68 of 1995, is to investigate any misconduct or offence allegedly committed by members of the SAPS, either of its own accord or upon receipt of a complaint; the ICD may investigate any death in police custody or as a result of police negligence; and it may investigate any matter referred to it by the Minister or a member of the executive council.
The mandate recognises that police practices must be within the rule of law and principle of accountability. It recognises that in a constitutional democracy the SA Police Service has to render service in accordance with: firstly, the Constitution; secondly, respect for human rights and dignity for all suspects; thirdly, respect for the presumption of innocence of the accused; fourthly, nondiscrimination and fairness; and fifthly, professionalism.
Despite the legal expectations on the part of the SA Police Service, it is crucial to note that political implications of the daily practices of the SAPS still call for transformation.
As highlighted above, the core function of the ICD is to investigate the conduct of the SAPS and municipal police. This function should not be seen in antagonistic terms. There is a working relationship between the SAPS and the ICD. It is wrong for some within the policing sphere to perceive this relationship as a matter of conflict. However, it must be borne in mind that the conduct or practices of the SAPS do not take place in a socioeconomic vacuum. One needs to examine and understand the difficult and different circumstances in which police operate.
Context matters in policing, particularly in democratic constitutionalism matters, particularly when the levels of crime executed by criminal elements persist against ordinary citizens and members of the police. This point makes the police work and the debate on police conduct very difficult. This point relates to work around: investigation of cases of crime; arrests and minimum use of force; respect for due process; conditions of services; and safety.
The police internal investigation and disciplinary measures should seek to promote good policing. These include taking care of the rights and the plight of suspects, particularly those held in police cells or detention. But in order for the ICD to be able to execute its work, there's a need to address case backlogs, shortage of staff, and lack of continuous training. The above challenges call for ongoing in-service training as stated, including the following: recruiting more personnel, particularly investigators; increasing budgets to ensure effective carrying out of oversight work; and successful implementation of the Domestic Violence Act by the SAPS by way of ensuring that the SAPS gives priority to domestic violence cases.
It is notable that government and the ANC are committed to rooting out corruption at all levels. Crime against women and children and inequalities exist in communities in varying degrees. South Africa is a constitutional democracy, but has not yet eradicated gender inequalities. In this regard, the ANC's 52nd conference resolutions reaffirm its stance against all forms of crime against women and children. There is a need for a bigger budget in order to enable the ICD to provide awareness programmes on gender sensitivity, children and women's rights and self-respect and the setting up of satellite offices for the ICD to be more accessible.
Voorsitter, in di opsig is daar talle suksesse soos aangedui deur die afname in die skeiding van magte met betrekking tot die regte van verdagtes onder polisietoesig, in vergelyking met vorige jare. Om di huidige tekens te handhaaf en te verbeter is dit dus van kardinale belang om gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid, ten opsigte van die uitbreiding van die begroting vir die Onafhanklike Klagtesdirektoraat, OKD, te bewerkstellig.
Dit is ook belangrik vir die OKD om aanbevelings oor opvolgwerk te maak en om te verseker dat lede van die SA Polisiediens, SAPD, daaraan voldoen. Die Wet op Gesinsgeweld, Wet no 116 van 1998, plaas sekere verpligtinge op polisiebeamptes wat klagtes van huishoudelike geweld ontvang.
Die werklike hantering van huishoudelike geweldsake deur polisiebeamptes gee aanleiding tot twee aparte vrae, naamlik: Eerstens, of die polisie die kapasiteit het om sake van di aard te hanteer; en, tweedens, of die wet in staat is om dit te implementeer in sy huidige vorm. Aldus dan moet niemand die relevansie van die Wet op Gesinsgeweld bevraagteken nie.
Die relevansie daarvan is sonder twyfel, aangesien dit reageer op die vlakke van huishoudelike en familiegeweld. Sake van huishoudelike geweld ... [Tyd verstreke.] Agb Voorsitter, die ANC steun hierdie begroting. Ek dank u. [Applous.]