Report of the Select Committee on Security
and Constitutional Development on Budget Vote 22: Safety and Security (Department
of Police) dated 1 July 2009:
Introduction
The Select Committee considered two budgets on 26 June 2009, Secretariat
for Safety and Security, and 30 June 2009, Department of Safety and Security
(Department of Police).
The officials presenting on behalf of the Secretariat for Safety and
Security comprised:
· Mr Themba Mathe: National Secretary.
· Mr Amichand Soman: Director, Legal
Services.
· Mr Meshack Mogatusi: Director, Office of
the Secretary.
· Mr Mlungisi Menziwa: Director, Policy
& Research.
The officials presenting on behalf of the Department of Police comprised:
· Deputy National Commissioner Hlela.
· Deputy National Commissioner Stander.
· Divisional Commissioner Schutte.
· Divisional Commissioner Phahlane.
· Divisional Commissioner Lalla.
· Divisional Commissioner Nchwe.
· Divisional Commissioner Siwundla.
· Assistant Commissioner Moorcroft.
· Superintendent Steyn.
This report provides an overview of the presentations made by the
Secretariat for Safety and Security and the Department of Police. The focus of the briefings included Budget
Vote 22 and Strategic Plans for 2009/10 – 2011/12.[1]
2. Overview of Proceedings
2.1 Secretariat
for Safety and Security Strategic Priorities, 26 June 2009
Mr Mathe provided an overview of their strategic
objectives and allocations for the 2009 – 2012 MTEF cycles. The Secretariat does not have its own budget,
but appears as a sub-programme within the budget of the Department of
Police. The Accounting Officer remains
the National Commissioner.
The Secretariat is established in terms of Section
208 of the Constitution of the
A Civilian Secretariat for the police must
be established by national legislation to function under the direction of the
Cabinet Member responsible for policing.
National legislation, in terms of the
South African Police Services Act (SAPS Act), Act No 65 of 1995 provides for:
Section 2(1) (a) The establishment of the
Secretariat by the Minister for Safety and Security.
The functions and purpose of the
Secretariat in terms of Section 3(1) of the SAPS Act were further highlighted.
The strategic priorities of the
Secretariat, which is of importance to the Committee was further expounded
upon. These include, amongst others, the
following:
·
Monitoring
and evaluating the implementation of the policing policy by SAPS.
·
Encouraging
and enhancing responsible community participation in crime prevention.
·
Enhancing
the image and profile of the Secretariat and the Ministry.
·
Providing
strategic and operational research support to the Secretariat and the Minister.
·
Providing
policing policy advice to the Minister.
·
Providing
legal advice and support to the Minister on legislation, civil litigation,
constitutional, and other legal matters.
2.1.1
Programme Structure and Budget of the
Secretariat
The programme structure and budget
allocations to sub-programmes for the Secretariat comprise the following:
·
The Administration Programme is divided
into two sub-programmes: Office of the Secretary and Support Services. The overall amount allocated to this
programme comprises R3 741 356, 00 of the budget. This equates to 29% of the budget allocations
for projects of R12 855 801. In
comparison to the Administration budget allocation of R11 186 000 for the
2008/09 financial year, it is a decrease of 67% for 2009/10. The budget
allocation for the sub-programme: Office of the Secretary amounts to R2 422
151, 00 and for the sub-programme: Support Services, an amount of R1 319 205,
00
·
The Monitoring and Evaluation Programme
monitors and evaluates the implementation of the policing policy by SAPS. The programme comprises R665 000, 00 of the
budget. This translates into 5% of the
budget allocations for projects of R12 855 801, in comparison to the allocation
of R1 057 000, 000 for the 2008/09 financial year, which amounts to a 37%
decrease. It has four programmes,
focusing on:
o
The
Firearms Control Act, No 60 of 2000.
o
The
Implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, No 116 of 1998 by SAPS and the
Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD).
o
Evaluation
of the SAPS Resource Allocation
·
The Legal
Services Programme comprises R1 429 845, 00 of the budget. This translates to 11% of the budget
allocation for projects amounting to R379 000, 00. The allocation for 2008/09 comprised R379
000, 00, which equates to an increase of 277%.
·
The Policy and Research Programme comprises
R2 319 600, 00 of the budget. This
translates to 18% of the budget allocation for projects of R12 855 801. The allocation for 2008/09 comprised R2 340
000. This equates to a decrease of 1%.
·
The Communication Programme comprises R4
700 000, 00 of the budget. This
translates to 36% of the budget allocation for projects of R12 855 801, and
when compared to the allocation of R4 875 000, 00 for 2008/09, it amounts to a
4% decrease. The total budget for
projects amounts to R12 623 801 and the overtime calculation for projects
amounts to R232 000. The budget for
personnel amounts to R9 056 034.
In total, the Secretariat for Safety and
Security seeks a budget of R21 911 835.
2.2 Department
of Police: Strategic Priorities, 30 June
2009
The SAPS Strategic Plan 2005 – 2010
focuses on the following four key strategic priorities:
·
Combating
organised crimes.
·
Combating
serious and violent crimes by adopting strategies.
·
Combating
crime against women and children.
·
Improving
basic service delivery in the SAPS through ensuring that the Batho Pele Action
Plans and Service Delivery Charters are implemented at all levels.
2.2.1
Programme Structure and Budget of the
Department of Police
The Department’s budget comprises the
following five programmes:
·
Programme 1: Administration consists of five sub-programmes – Ministry, Deputy
Ministry, Management, Corporate Services and Property Management. It receives a
total of R15 449 150 000, 00 and increased by 11.61% from 2008/09 allocation of
R13 841 697 000, 00. The increase is due
to intensified funding levels for training interventions, facilities,
information technology, radio communication systems and IJS projects. Information Technology, under the
sub-programme of Corporate services received R2 223 000, 00 which equates to
14% of the programme allocation. This is
in line with the Department’s increased need for information technology, radio
communication systems and ISJ projects.
·
Programme 2: Visible Policing consists of three sub-programmes – Crime Prevention,
Borderline Security and Specialisation Interventions. It receives a total of R19
015 537 000, 00 and increased by 10, 58% from 2008/09 allocation of R17 195 540
000, 00. The funding increased due to intensified funding levels for new
enlistments, vehicles, bullet-proof vests, and general equipment and security
requirements for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.
·
Programme 3: Detective Services consists of three
sub-programmes – Crime Investigations, Criminal Record Centre and Forensic
Science Laboratory. It receives a total of R7 625 060 000, 00 and increased by
13, 55% from 2008/09 allocation of R6 714 765 000, 00. The funding increased
due to significant emphasis on Forensic Laboratories and Criminal Record
Centres focusing on upgrading / expansion of resources and an increased need for capacity at station
detectives.
·
Programme 4: Crime Intelligence consists of two
sub-programmes – namely Crime Intelligence Operations and Intelligence and
Information Management. It receives a total of R1 714 134 000, 00, increased by
18, 31% from 2008/09 allocation of R1 448 789 000, 00. The increase is due to
intensified funding levels for personnel and associated operational
expenditures at crime intelligence offices.
·
Programme 5: Protection and Security Services consists
of six sub-programmes – namely VIP Protection Services, Static and Mobile
Security, Port of Entry Security, Rail Police, Government Security Regulator
and Operational Support. It receives a total of R2 605 812 000, 00 and
increased by 13, 71% from 2008/09 allocation of R2 291 518 000, 00. The
increase is due to intensified funding levels
for the continuation and expansion of Rail Police projects and various other
ports of entry.
3. Committee Response: Questions/Issues to
Consider
Members of the Committee raised a number
of questions and issues to the Secretariat for Safety and Security and the
Department of Police, which ranged from:
3.1 Secretariat
for Safety and Security
·
What are the roles and
responsibilities of the provincial Secretariat for Safety and Security and the
difference between the national Secretariat and provincial Secretariat?
·
What the Secretariats role is with
regard to the relocation of the Community Police Forums (CPF).
·
To questions related to the Firearms
Control Act, Act No 60 of
2000 on possible amendments that may be forthcoming.
3.2 Department
of Police
·
The
Department was congratulated on a ‘job well done’ during the recent
Confederation Cup Tournament.
·
Whilst
the Committee was pleased with the comprehensive briefing, the members noticed
one drawback in that the presentation lacked insight into the challenges facing
the Department of Police and the South
African Police Service. Information on the drawbacks will allow the Committee
to motivate for further funding or decreases in certain programmes where it is
called for.
·
With regard to the budget on Compensation, apart
from it covering expenses related to additional staff, what else is included in
that particular compensation?
·
The issues related to overtime raise the question
whether there are mechanisms in place to control or manage that particular
expenditure item. The reason for this query is that this is an area for abuse
where police members will be slow to respond to a call and only attend to the
matter when it falls into the overtime bracket.
·
The report indicates a number of vehicles purchased
but approximates the value. The Committee requests that it be supplied with the
exact amount of the vehicle assets on the books of the Department.
·
The Committee further requests the Department’s
strategy with regard to vehicle maintenance and control of misusing and abusing
vehicle assets. This must be related to the department’s approach to deal with
reckless driving and accidents caused by police members.
·
The Committee requests an update on the
effectiveness of the tracking devices installed in the 25 000 vehicles. Is the
system working as intended and yielding results? How long will the process take
to complete the installation of the tracking device in the remaining vehicles?
·
The Committee expressed its dissatisfaction with the
unavailability of police vehicles to respond to incidents when these vehicles
are parked in police officers’ driveways at night. The Department must respond
on its strategy to deal with police members using vehicle assets for private
purposes.
·
The success of the department is unclear with regard
to national crime statistics. It would be beneficial to link the programme and
project performance to national crime statistics and success rates to determine
the effectiveness of programme administration and funding.
·
The Committee is satisfied with the expenditure on
bullet proof vests but require a stipulation on when such vests are required for
use. The implication of the budget is that every police member who leaves the
training academy is issued with a vest yet many police members are observed
without it. Under what circumstances is the vest worn?
·
The slow pace of investigations remains a concern to
the Committee. The results of a criminal investigation must be reported to the
complainant regardless of the outcome. The lack of communication and feedback
entrenches the idea that SAPS are not doing their job.
·
Reservists who volunteer offer a free service to the
SAPS. When a reservist is called to duty a remuneration is payable. This
amounts to abuse of labour. Although reservists are intensively trained and
must pass modules the reality is that it is an area open to abuse by criminal
elements. The access to sensitive information in a police station is very
valuable to criminal elements outside. This is a matter that the Department
must take on board when considering using reservists. It is more desirable to
use the budget allocation set aside for overtime to employ more police men and
woman rather than casual labour.
·
A report of the Portfolio Committee on Safety and
Liaison in the
·
The Department presents the Annual Report to the
Portfolio Committee but neglects to mention the presentation of the APP. The
presentation of the Annual Report must be appraised in terms of performance
measurements. It is imperative that the Department also present the APP’s to
the provincial committees.
·
The Committee requests the Department to note the
need for team building amongst station commanders.
·
The Committee drew the Department’s attention to
Port Nolloth. It has a harbour but no port control authority. There is a
serious concern about drug trafficking by way of Port Nolloth,
·
The practicality of the SAPS visible policing should
be seen in a practical way where new communities needing a police presence will
benefit from the mobile police stations. The Committee requests the Department
to look into the feasibility of this for new communities.
·
The Department was congratulated on its outreach
programme in the
·
The Committee requests the police strategy on
firearms that are lost or stolen.
·
The police reports crime statistics are decreasing
yet more police members are needed every year. The Committee drew the attention
of the Department to the need for quality policing as opposed to quantity.
Attention was drawn to policeman whose native tongue is different to the areas
they are deployed in.
·
The Committee requires a report on what specialised
units are established within the SAPS, such as the drug squads or murder and
robbery units.
·
The training of investigators must be prioritised by
the Department as a lot of cases are thrown out of court due to investigations
that were not done properly.
·
The recent reports of offences against women and
children being changed to other offences when reported because charge officers
do not know how to handle it, is of grave concern to the Committee.
·
Vehicles that are standing and which are not being
used is of concern to the Committee. It is also necessary for the Department to
look into the matter of investigators having access to vehicles. For purposes
of efficiency it is necessary for the Department to ensure that resources are
adequately deployed.
·
The Committee also drew the Departments attention to
limiting users of vehicles in the exercise of their duties to certain kilometre
restrictions and petrol restrictions.
·
On slide 8 of the Budget presentation it is of
concern to the Committee that the expenditure projection of the SAPS does not
appear to take the current financial climate into consideration. The Department
is required to report on the saving measures in place to curb the increase of
costs.
·
The Department is required to report on the impact
the judge’s decision has with regard to suspending the Firearms Control
legislation because of the constitutionality of the Act.
·
The Committee requests a reply on whether the
Department has made provision for claims that may arise from gun owners that
are entitled to compensation for firearms that have to be handed in.
·
The Border gate between
·
A memorandum was handed to the Acting Provincial
Commissioner in Nelspruit in terms of this specific problem but a response has
still not been forthcoming.
·
The Department is requested to reply with regard to
ports of entry at O R Tambo International Airport. Compared to other
international ports the security at O R Tambo is considered to be very lax.
·
What is the Department’s strategy with regard to
monitoring airstrips in
·
How much budget has been set aside for informers?
·
The Department is requested to reply whether the
provincial commissions and cluster stations have their own budgets.
·
The Department is requested to determine proper
operational names that do not infer insult but maintains the professionalism and
integrity of the Department.
·
The Committee reminds the Department that response
time to incidents is of grave concern to the Committee and the Department is
requested to prioritise this matter.
·
The Department is requested to respond to the matter
of xenophobic attacks with regard to boarder line control. What is the
Department’s strategy with regard to xenophobic attacks at boarder posts and
boarder line control?
·
What are the Department’s policy objectives with
regard to gathering intelligence? Is it proactive in nature to prevent
incidents or for purposes of database gathering?
·
The Committee finds it difficult to justify the
figures given without relating it to the previous report of the Department.
Further interaction with the Department is necessary to determine future budget
priorities and allocations. The Department has embarked on numerous turn around
strategies but the Committee needs to determine when these strategies have
achieved the desired effect to justify the increases requested in the budget
presentation.
·
The Department is requested to supply the Committee
with specific strategies with regard to crime prevention programmes and this
must be related to the budget allocations requested in the budget presentation.
·
The Auditor-General raised deficiencies in the
Department with regard to the Report of the Auditor-General on a performance
audit of service delivery at police stations and 10111 call centres at the
South African Police Services. The report indicates, amongst others, that a
police station in the
·
In another police station 74% of police officers did
not have valid drivers’ licences.
·
What steps are being taken to address those
deficiencies as highlighted by the Auditor-General?
Due to time constraints, the Members
decided that they would require written responses to issues and questions
raised, and would thereafter propose recommendations to the above issues.
4. Appreciation
The
Committee expresses their thanks to the Department of Police and Secretariat
for Safety and Security, for the comprehensive presentations.
Report to be considered.