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MEC's response to the Annual Report of the Department of Provincial Safety and Liaison
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Safety Liaison and Transport

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 EASTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
 MEC's RESPONSE TO THE DEBATE ON THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PROVINCIAL SAFETY AND LIAISON
 24 JULY 2000

Honourable Speaker
 Members of the Provincial Legislature

INTRODUCTION

I stand here to also register my support for the report. In having stated my support for the report may I also be allowed to congratulate 
the hard working members of the Secretariat who have contributed to many of the successes recorded here, operating under very difficult 
conditions.

It will be remembered by members of this House that last year we were here attempting to sensitise Members of the Legislature to the need 
for an effective budget for the running of the Department of Safety and Security. The problem of an insufficient budget has been there 
since its birth. Despite the budgetary constraints the Department is making an impact. It will be proper to show now our appreciation for 
your support and guidance you have given to our Department, and allow me to single out the Standing Committee of Safety and Security.

BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS AND STAFF TURNOVER

A number of the departmental programmes could not take off in the past year because of budgetary constraints. Amongst those were the gender 
programme, and the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS). As if the budgetary problems were not enough. During the past year we had a 
high staff turnover and this combined with the freezing of posts further caused an adverse impact on our programmes. In the Legal Services 
and Communication divisions activities had to be put on hold because there was virtually no one left to carry on. Our loss was a benefit to 
other Departments as almost all of them have moved to greener pastures in other government departments.

COMMUNITY POLICING

Various measures, especially the formation of Community Police Forums, ave helped to strengthen the relations between the security services 
and communities. Our programmes around community policing can be said to be progressing. A major hurdle is that of financial sustenability 
for the community policing fora. We are engaging the SAPS structures to have this budgeted for.

COMMUNITY CONFLICTS

Although we still have pockets of community conflicts we have generally managed to reduce Taxi violence, a sore we have to contend with for 
sometime has been effectively reduced. Most of community conflicts come about as a result of underdevelopment and therefore are not 
entirely a policing problem actually safety and security issues tend to be secondary than primary.

POLICE CELL ESCAPES

The increase in the number of escapes from police custody is definitely a cause for concern. Poor infrastructure is the main reason behind 
these escapes. It is affecting areas like Umtata, Queenstown and the Drakensberg. However, through the European Union Building Improvement 
Programme efforts are being co-ordinated to address the infrastructure backlog in the former homeland areas.

VEHICLES

There is a serious shortage of Police vehicles in the Province. The number of new vehicles coming in as a replacement does not match those 
that go out of the system. The problem is partly the size of the budget allocated to the Province for vehicles by National. Other causes of 
shortage of vehicles poor fleet management and lack of driving skills. The need for a fleet management strategy has been identified by the 
SAPS and driver training programmes are being conducted through the European Union and DFID programmes.

PROGRESS MADE

Despite the difficulties, our democratic government has adopted resolute measures to support peace and stability in our country and the 
Eastern Cape Province in particular. There have been prophets of doom who given a chance would cause a panic around the issues of safety 
and security. The ANC government has not panicked but resolutely moved in a focused way and brought in various legislative and 
administrative measures to appropriately equip government structures to deepen and strengthen the process supporting and promoting peace 
and stability.

We have made big strides in the transformation of the criminal justice system. A strong single prosecution service and the Scorpions are 
today part of our armoury against the criminals and perpetrators of violence. We all are witnesses to the effect of its sting. There has 
been relatively peace and tranquility ever since I called for their intervention in some of the conflicts in the Province.

GUN CONTROL BILL

A rigorous Gun Control Bill reduce access to guns by criminals has already been introduced in Parliament. Some parties here complain about 
presence of illegal firearms but when we attempt to put control measures they do not support us. We are determined to cut down the number 
of these weapons from South African society.

CIVILIAN PARTICIPATION

We are presently looking at how we can hasten the process of the introduction of civilian participation to deal with certain administrative 
functions of the SAPS. The sooner this is done the more numbers of trained police personnel will be available for patrolling the streets of 
the Province.

CONCLUSION

The struggle against crime and violence should not be separated from the struggle to transform the economy and the society. Our ability to 
bring economic and political transformation will ultimately minimise the basis for crime and violence. As government we intend to continue 
to have zero tolerance for organised crime, corruption and taxi and family violence.

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