Minister Ramatlakane said in a statement that " This development isin line within the national context , of celebrating 10 years since the1994 democratic breakthrough:
It is a day when we, as the people who witness this occasion, weproudly say:
" Yes indeed, the South African Police services means business whenthey say they will serve us "
Today, we gather here at the Good Hope centre to welcome 1650 men andwomen into the fold of the South African police services.
Your graduation pushes our police contingent to well over 18 000 inthis province. Next year this number will reach 20 000- the highest number of policeintake ever achieved.
We also have 3000 reservists who are a complimentary addition in thefight against crime in the Province.
It is a worthwhile addition, one that begins to send a message thatsays, as the South African Police services, we are getting mightier andmightier in our fight against crime.
It is clear message to criminals that says" Watch out - stop yourfunny tricks or your days are numbered
Ladies and gentlemen, our police men and women in blue, as I welcomeyou in the fold of beating crime- I want to read to you from an extractfrom a poem by a Cape Town poet Brian Williams who in his book " OneRenaissance, many revolutions ".
I took this extract from a poem called
" Be vigilant, new enemies prowl':
" The bugle of our motherland calls us so that we may take our battleflags to new frontiers, where only the bravest of the brave may venture.
We honour justice and liberty has a duty
To mobilise and arouse our global battalions
To march against the banner of the imperialists
In defence of our country- South Africa
We must slay the enemies of our children
So that a new universe of love and peace can prevail "
Brian Williams' poem speaks volumes to all of us.
With those words I want to welcome you into the South African PoliceServices as constables and say, that your work has unfortunately beencut out- your services are desperately needed by the people of heWestern Cape.
You arrive just as the province and the country is getting ready towind down the year- it is that time again when our people will be infestive mood.
It is the time that calls for vigilance because new enemies of ourchildren prowl.
And as Brian Williams puts it in his poem: " Our motherland calls usso that we take our battle to new frontiers where only the bravest ofthe brave may venture.
You arrive just as we have been putting to plan our machinery that willbe ensuring that our people, those one million children who are at homeduring the festive season and the end of the year holidays, are safe.
Our youth therefore have a task to keep a watchful eye on childrenwhile parents are still at work trying to get extra cents so that theycan buy children gifts and clothing for Christmas and New Year.
Therefore the province will be pinning their hopes on our integratedlaw enforcement agencies that include the municipal police, trafficofficials, the police, the Bambanani Neighbourhood watch volunteers onthe trains, on the beach and on the roads - to make sure that once againthis province enjoys a safer festive season in 2004/ 5.
I am particularly encouraged and feel empowered by your arrival. Youwill without a doubt give that extra needed safety to our people.
We made this possible during December 2003. We reduced crime by 18% andmurder by 34% with a lesser number of police. We declared then that the2003 festive season was the safest in a decade. Today we stand a muchbetter chance with your graduation with you on the beat.
With you we want to say to those who think they can commit all sorts ofcrime in the province, this is the time they should STOP or they WILL BESTOPPED.
We want to say to those who think that during this festive season, theycould rob people on trains, they will break the law in the beach or theycould kidnap children in the townships- they better stop because now wehave men and women who will be posted to add capacity in our townshipsand city and in every street in our province.
We are proud with your arrival in that, you have come just as ourpolice are now marching on a journey to turn around the tide againstcrime.
Police have reducing crime through fostering strong partnerships withNeighbourhood Watch volunteers, the Bambanani Against crime volunteers-and all other civil society formations- that share a common objective offighting crime side by side in partnership.
And as Brian Williams put it in his poem, the fight against crime isjust another revolution. It is a fight that comprises of new kind ofenemies.
These enemies of our people make our work complex because they are partof our communities. We can only say these enemies are our families, ourchildren, fathers and mothers. They look just like all of us.
It is for that reason that I will urge you to be vigilant in your work,because along this fight, you will get many temptations that will try todistract you from doing your work of serving this country with pride anda 'smile'
Many of those who have donned this uniform, have chosen to accept beingbribed, others helped the very same criminals that are destroying ourpeople-communities.
Others while sent out on the roads to ensure road safety-they insteadaccepted bribes.
These practises cannot be allowed. So those who were involved in theseactivities are now no longer serving police officers. Others are in factawaiting trial and soon they will be spending time in jail.
By electing to become policemen and women, you have made a resolve ofupholding the law. You have chosen to protect the law from not beingbroken. You have chosen to serve our people- you cannot fail us.
Therefore, the road that you have chosen is one that will start to sayyou will be at the forefront in the coalface of crime- starting just asyou leave here.
You arrive just as the South African Police Services have been makingseveral inroads in the fight against crime.
When last year- on the black Thursday of August- when this Province waslisted as the capital of crime, ranging from murder to rape, armedrobbery- it was evident that drastic steps had to be taken to correctthe situation.
One of the steps taken was the deployment of more personnel on thestreets where crime is committed most.
When we listed Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Mitchell's Plain, Guguletu andKuilsriver as the crime hotspots in the province-we also said resourceswill be sent to these policing precincts.
This year in September- a different story was told of the province andthese five stations- the story said " crime had gone down in theWestern Cape and that contact crime such as murder has also gone down"
Thanks to the men and women in blue and also the role-played by ourcommunity. All of you made us proud last year.
While we received these news with relief, we however have said, thatmore should be done to improve on this situation in our province.
The news do not say crime has completely gone down- there is stillcrime being committed and therefore your arrival bodes well with us nowintensifying our resolve in making sure that our people in this provincefeel safe, we should do so building on last year's festive seasonachievement.
Just a few weeks ago, the South African police services, working withother agencies- pulled off one of the biggest integrated arrest andseizure operations in the province.
Mr Big (Quintin Marinus) and 14 members of an organised crime syndicatewere arrested in this operation. Their assets, which include luxuryvehicles, houses in Plattekloof were seized.
This work tells us that, for our people to be safe, our women and children need not to be subjected to being drug carriers for thesesyndicates.
We cannot sit back and let High Flyers run crime syndicates from luxuryhouses in Plattekloof and let those in Elsiesriver, Mitchell's Plain,Khayelitsha, Mannenberg, Hanover Park and Nyanga kill each other.
We will not allow a situation that people who never had legitimatebusinesses to own assets worth over 10- million rands, withoutexplaining how they acquired this wealth legally.
We cannot allow a group of them to run car hijacking syndicates fromthe back of their houses- as if we living in a country with noconstitution or a law.
Our police will continue to investigate where there is this suspicionand if there is a need for an arrest, they will have to do so legally.
Therefore, to make threats that we stop this kind action against thesecriminals, will unfortunately not deter us from continuing what we havebeen mandated to do by the people of this provide.
They said make the Western Cape safe for all of us. We are therefore onthat road.
You the new recruits, I want to bring it to your attention that, thisis the kind of work- that our police have been called to do.
This kind of work is one that starts to say that, our police areputting their foot down in making sure that this province is not just aHome for all- for criminals or crime syndicates but a Home for All- forthose want to live in harmony and peaceful as communities, incommunities that work with government in making sure that drugtrafficking, gangsterism, corruption by our law enforcement officers- isnot allowed and is being exposed at all times.
That is the kind of a Home for All- that we all have a vision about.
In the next few weeks, we will be seeing each other in the trenches offighting crime protected our children and giving holidaymakers peace ofmind.
I therefore on my behalf and on behalf of the Provincial government ofthe Western Cape, welcome you in this big family that is called theSouth African Police Services.
I ask you to take off your jackets, but put on your fighting boots, capand all other crime fighting resources that you will be provided- andjoin your colleagues on the streets, trains, and on the beaches- as wewill be seeking to convey to all the people of the province: NOT TOGIVE ANY SPACE TO CRIMINALS AND GANGSTERS.
To your families and parents, we say " Guide your child to be a crimefighter and not one who commits crime. Guide them to become communityrole models and NOT gang members.
For your child to get there we are there to help you !
Join us in making this province a true Home for All - this festiveseason
