Premier
Fellow members of Provincial Cabinet
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Ladies and Gentlemen
I rise to present the budget of the Department of Community Safety for the 2004-05 financial year.
Let me first start with a quotation from a poem by Lebanese poet Gibran Khalil Gibran, that I found befitting for today's occasion.
" And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said:
" Speak to us of Children."
And he said:
"Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you;
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you?
So we are challenged to transform those Young people in our communities who believe that their lives depend on committing crime.
Our society and values of our Constitution is one that embraces reform and rehabilitation.
We urge those involved in criminal activities, illicit dealings and those preying on the vulnerable, to stop or be stopped.
Let it be known that our collective efforts as partners of the criminal justice system, is steadfastly resolved to make the lives of those who commit crime, unbearable.
In particular those who abuse our meek and weak, our women and children.
Just over two months ago, the people of the Western Cape renewed the mandate of this government with an overwhelming majority.
They re-affirmed their belief that the in the past 18 months, under the leadership of the ANC and the NNP- the Western Cape is finally beginning to develop a sense of identity. And more importantly the fruits of delivery are beginning to be felt by a sizeable portion of the people of the Western Cape.
It is this concept of delivery and time that underpins our tenure as government and it is this philosophy to work that I wish to bring to bear in my budget here today.
Speaker, in our adjustments estimates in 2003, we came to this House saying that we have a responsibility as the Department of Community Safety of making the 2003 festive season, the safest one in a decade.
I believe it is important to reflect in this House and to the people of the Western Cape what my department has achieved in the last twelve months since our last budget debate.
We said in 2003 that Ikapa Elihlumayo is the bedrock of the government's delivery plan for the Western Cape.
As the Department of Community Safety we had a responsibility of creating a safer environment in which our people could trade, live and invest without fear of criminal activity.
I believe by and large we have been able to successfully meet these challenges within a short space of time.
I want to confirm here today, that the budget allocation of R140 million to the Department in 2003 was spent broadly on the following projects:
- The training and equipping of more than 4 000 Neighbourhood Watch and Farm Watch volunteers.
- Rolling out of Bambanani Unite Against Crime
- Safety on Trains
- Taking Hands Off Our Children programmes to schools and communities in the Western Cape.
- Road traffic safety (Arrive Alive operations)
- Funding of community based activities in various communities working on youth development, social crime prevention strategies, HIV/ AIDS etc.
In reviewing the past year, it is furthermore important to acknowledge amongst others the gains our policemen and women have made in the fight against crime in 2003:
- The confiscation of 239 000 Mandrax tablets with a street value of R10.7 million
- The confiscation of 23 871 Ecstasy tablets with a street value of R1.19 million
- The confiscation of 11.7 kilograms of Cocaine with a street value of R2.9 million
- The seizure of 80 000 kilograms of Dagga with a street value of R80.830 million
- The confiscation of 88 000 units of Abalone valued at R204 million
- Money in cash seized totalled R1.4 million
- Seizure orders of property to the value of R10.2 million
- Forfeiture orders of property to the value of R2.8 million
- The destruction of over 3700 firearms and 1.4 million rounds of ammunition.
- In total our police seized drugs with a street value of R260 million
In relation to our prosecutorial services, the following amongst others was achieved:
- The smashing of the Hout Bay Fishing company crime syndicate with assets forfeited to the state of R57 million
- The Golden Arrow fraud case involving its Directors who were fined R6 million with the Department of Transport recovering R45 million.
- The conviction of Chohan and Mohamed for defrauding the Road Accident Fund
- The conviction of Rashied Staggie and others to long term imprisonment
- And more recently the conviction of the Marx syndicate for the theft and illegal possession of perlemoen worth R13 million
Speaker, these are indeed encouraging results for our Province, once again we want to encourage our police men and women and Prosecutors to continue to deliver these levels of results and more.
Meeting our Constitutional Requirements
Through our Bambanani Unite Against Crime strategy, we have galvanised in an unprecedented manner, community mobilisation.
These levels of interface between government and community, we believe will deliver the true notion of a people's government as well as a people-centred development path.
We will continue to intensify our campaign; " HANDS OFF OUR CHILDREN- your child is my child" campaign.
Through the Hands Off Our Children Campaign, we continue to encourage and educate our communities to expose those who are intent on raping and abusing our children.
With our programme we visited over 1300 schools in the Western Cape and met with 600 000 learners in 2003.
Using our HOOC post box system, we can report that over 300 learners have now come forward and reported cases of abuse by adults. These strategies are beginning to lead to convictions.
In the coming period, we pledge to continue with the campaign and extend it to well over 1 million children throughout the province. Let's work together to save our future.
The maintenance of Victims Support rooms at all our police stations in the province will continue. Support will be given to the full operationalisation of these vital services.
Coupled to this process is the deployment of skilled and trained community development workers to assist victims of rape and indecent assault at local police stations.
Speaker, we believe that the synergised integrated strategy of the criminal justice cluster in conjunction with the outcomes of our Ikapa Elihlumayo campaign to deliver jobs, houses, clean water, effective lighting, schools, etc. has laid the foundation for turning the tide against crime and gangsterism in the province.
Recent reports have clearly indicated that our strategies have worked; reflecting a radical decline in serious violent crimes reported to our public sector hospitals, these interventions have not only saved lives but much needed resources.
It is however acknowledged that we have not yet done enough to direct our energies in making sure that our rural and urban renewal nodes of Khayelitsha, Mitchell's Plain and Beaufort- West become areas of intensified delivery.
As partners to establish Khayelitsha and Mitchell's Plain as a leading urban renewal nodes, we will be intensifying our activities in this area in conjunction with the Province's leading agency namely: the City of Cape Town.
Road Ahead: Making the Western Cape Home for All
Speaker, the Department of Community Safety has a budget of R151 million for the current 2004/5 financial year, to ensure that we deliver the best possible levels of security for the people of the Western Cape.
Therefore the question is what can the people of the Western Cape expect from the Department of Community Safety for the coming financial year of 2004.
- To this end we will ensure that the Complaints unit in the Department of Community Safety is made more accessible to our people to lodge grievances of poor service delivery at police stations.
- The Department will undertake to consolidate all civic law enforcement structures i.e. Neighbourhood Watches and Farm Watches that have been working in partnership with the department to create safer communities.
This will ensure a more integrated, synergised and institutionalised approach as part of our overall security strategy between government and the people.
- Our flagship programme namely: Bambanani Against Crime- will be rolled out with greater vigour in meeting communities and discussing joint plans of action in protecting our province and its people.
- The deployment of Neighbourhood Watch volunteers to shebeens has drastically reduced violent crimes at these outlets.
The Department will be committing itself to continuing patrols at these shebeens in an attempt to keep the peace and more importantly to ban young people from visiting these outlets, in particular children.
Furthermore, the 3500 Neighbourhood Watch volunteers trained by the Department in 2003, will now become part of a government Extended Public Works Programme in specific crime prevention programmes- which will enable them to work.
- Towards the fourth quarter of 2003, the department piloted training for over 300 Farm Watch workers in the rural areas.
It is envisaged that for the 2004/ 5 financial year, we intend taking that training to 500 more farm workers ensuring greater security on our farms for both farm workers and farm owners.
- Our commitment to maintaining high security visibility at all major stations including Cape Town, Khayelitsha, Mitchell's Plain, Bellville and Salt River through our Neighbourhood Watch volunteers and the South African Police Services will continue.
On 1st July, 400 police recruits will soon be undergoing training at the police college in Phillipi and upon the completion of their training, they will be deployed on our trains to ensure an increased overall visibility.
In addition we will be placing greater emphasis on deploying our Neighbourhood Watch volunteers to key pension payout and other pay point stations ensuring that workers and their wages are safe at month- end periods.
Speaker, historically the sale and use of drugs has always been a major problem in our province and an entrenched part of the third economy or simply put: The Criminal Economy.
Our war on drugs such a Dagga, Mandrax, Crack, and Coke must continue.
In recent weeks numerous media reports, indicated that another scourge has become the fashionable drug of preference amongst our youth and learners, namely the : "TUK-TUK", ICE, STRAW, SPEED, CHALK, or LOLLY.
The problem of drugs in our schools must be attacked at all fronts. Currently a business plan is being prepared for Cabinet approval calling for an intergovernmental response to this scourge.
This approach will include the Central Drug Authority as well the civil society.
It is envisaged that this campaign will be taken to schools and communities to bring greater awareness to the dangers of TUK- TUK.
We in particular want to warn our parents and our girl child: Do not be duped into believing that TUK-TUK can bring about a perfect body.
Speaker, delivering our budget on Safety in the Province cannot be complete without touching on the impact of gangs on our communities.
As indicated, this phenomenon is rooted in our social fabric. It will require medium to long-term integrated plans, which will include looking at changing the socio-economic conditions of our townships infested with gangsterism.
In particular, the Department has funded extensive training programmes in conjunction with corporate South Africa to train and equip our Prosecutors and Investigators in dealing with gangs in our courts.
On the other end of our spectrum, the Department has rolled out extensive diversion courses to curb our youth from prospective gang activity and gang membership.These programmes will remain on going and intensified.
Mr Premier, on the 28th of May 2004, you delivered your State of the Province address to this House urging criminal justice cluster agencies to act in respect of high-flyer and certain criminal formations in our Province.
In this respect, we have begun the full implementation of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act legislation in our Province, in so doing sending out a clear message that gangs and gang activity will not be tolerated.
Either You Stop! Or Will Be Stopped!
I am glad to confirm here today, Mr Speaker that there are currently seven suspected gang members of the Cisko Yakkies, Americans, and Dixi Boys that are currently on trial and being charged under the POCA legislation with special reference to their membership of gangs.
This is indeed a first for the country as well as for our province.
We believe that the current pilot cases in Wynberg, Mitchell's Plain and Bellville, will indeed yield positive results.
Furthermore Speaker, in the coming weeks in accordance with the 100 days commitment by our Premier, you will see intensified actions against particular-high flyers of the Western Cape.
All I can say is:Watch This Space!!
Let me also take this time and announce that, intensive discussions are taking place in relation to plans to curb the stone throwing and other crimes that are committed on our motorists on the N2 and all highways in our Province.
In the meantime while these plans are finalised, we have asked that patrols by the SA Police Services, traffic officials and the municipal police to be stepped up along the N1, N2 and R300 High ways in particular.
In relation to other criminal justice cluster departments allow me to say the following in relation to the 2004/5:
South African Ploice Service
Currently the police personnel in the province has grown to 16 868.
It is anticipated that by end June 2004, an additional 1681 constables will join the service in the Western Cape. This will give the province a compliment of 18 638 police officers.
- In the beginning of July 2004, an additional 555 police recruits will begin training with a further intake of 550 recruits expected to follow in June 2005.
- The special 400 railway police will start training 01 July 2004 for rail duty commencing 01 January 2005.
We can therefore safely conclude, that by the end of 2005 our police personnel would have reached a total of 20133 officers. This means more police men and women on our street.
We can furthermore confirm that the following priority police stations will be capacitated and resourced to optimal levels in the coming months.
These are: Mitchell's Plain, Harare, Nyanga, Phillip East, Mbekweni, Kuilsriver, Guguletu, Lingeletu West, Langa and Kleinvlei.
With regard to the Department of Justice and in accordance with the President's State of the Nation address, we are pleased to confirm:
The creation of three categories of courts, before the end of the calendar year 2004:
- The priority Gang Court, to be located between Khayelitsha and Mitchell's Plain;
- Community courts for Mitchell's Plain/Khayelitsha, for Mannenberg and Guguletu and the CBD in Cape Town.
- Establish Mobile Traffic Courts over the festive season period in the province
- The roll out of family court services to rural areas of George, Swellendam, Atlantis, Mosselbay, Vrendendal and Worcester.
- The roll out of sexual offences courts to George, Atlantis and Khayelitsha.
Speaker these are some of the highlights we commit ourselves to delivering to the people of the Western Cape, clearly reflecting that our criminal justice agencies are working in tandem with each other and that delivery is their number one priority.
We believe the collective financial resources of our respective criminal justice agencies in the Western Cape, namely the Department of Community Safety's R151 million, the Police's R314 million and the Department of Justice's R305 million, plus additional agency budgets of R100 million, will deliver a safer province. This gives the Western Cape close to a whopping R 1 billion in the fight against crime. This we believe will make a difference.
Speaker, President Mbeki has spoken. Our Premier has spoken.
The people of the Western Cape have waited for many years to experience what the rest of their fellow South Africans have experienced in relation to service delivery.
Our time is now!!!
It will be important that we do not become side tracked by our detractors in delivering a safer Western Cape that is Home for All.
Building the People's Contract
Speaker, the cornerstone of our partnership in our communities is led by community policing forums and more recently the Neighbourhood Watch structures.
And as we usher in ten years of Freedom and Democracy, we have a responsibility of sharing with our people what government and communities can achieve if they work in partnership to defeat crime.
Recently our Honourable Executive Mayor of the City of Cape Town Noma India Mfeketho delivered yet another action packed budget speech committing her administration to improving the quality of life for the people of Cape Town.
Clearly, all these attempts reflect government's common understanding that we need to work together in the Western Cape in order to deliver the very best to our people.
As the Department of Community Safety, we also acknowledge partnerships with institutions such as Standard Bank, Shoprite, Spar, Business Against Crime, and the University of Stellenbosch who have made financial contributions to some of our projects.
In particular we want to thank small black business who have rallied to our support and discounted their services to the Department.
We want to urge them to continue partnering with us in building a broad united front against crime.
In Conclusion
As security agencies gathered here today, we are committed to fulfilling the mandate of government. I urge you to join us in making every moment of our opportunity as government representatives, a meaningful one.
Speaker, I would fail in my duty in this House, if I do not personally thank our policemen and women, our prosecutors, our municipal police, traffic officials and various other law enforcement agencies that have all worked unselfishly to secure our province against criminals.
More importantly, it is appropriate at this juncture that I ask this House to acknowledge the contribution of the Neighbourhood Watch volunteers sitting in the gallery.
They, together with thousands of others from throughout the province, worked selflessly and side by side with our security forces contributing in building a safe Western Cape that is truly a Home for All.
Here in particular we want to acknowledge four elders from our community who are over 60 years of age, who are present here today namely: Lissy Cloete- Neighbourhood Watch in Saldanha, Anti Mary - Neighbourhood Watch Mitchell's Plain, Tobie Brummer Neighbourhood Watch Parow East and Mama Yunus Neighbourhood Watch in Langa.
They did so not for their families, not for any personal gain BUT in order that you and I, and the majority of the people of the Western Cape can live peacefully without fear of being harmed by criminals. They represent the true embodiment of President Mbeki's Vuk'uzenzele call for volunteerism and national patriotism.
Once again from government we say:
Thank You!!! Thank You!!!
Finally, let me thank my Head of Department Mr Melvin Joshua and his team. To Police Commissioner Mzwandile Petros, Director of Public Prosecutions Rodney De Kock, National Intelligence Agency's Arthur Fraser, the Scorpions Adrian Mopp and Assets Forfeiture Units Hermione Cronje, and your teams, thank you for your support and commitment to making the Western Cape safe for all its people.
Speaker, Premier RasoolMembers of this Legislature,
The gift you have before you must be a constant reminder that we have a fundamental task of delivery to the people of this Province. (Please open your gifts)
Their time has come and with every minute that passes we are reminded of our responsibilities of building the people's contract in the Western Cape.
Let's therefore ensure that every minute, hour or day is dedicated to our objective of creating a safe Western Cape that is truly a Home for All.
The time is now. Let's get down to work
I thank you!!!
Enquiries: Makhaya ManiMedia Liaison Officer
Ministry of Community Safety
Cell: 082 780 4493
