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Policemen/Women of the Year
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Safety Liaison and Transport

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 EASTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

Provincial Safety, Liaison and Transport

Address by the MEC for Safety and Security, Mr Dennis Neer, at the Policemen/Women of the Year 1999 Function,

9 April 1999

"Forward to a Peoples Transformed and Democratised Police Service"

Provincial Commissioner
Area Commissioner
 Provincial and Area Management of the SAPS
 Members of the Area Community Police Board and local CPFs
 Members of the South African Police Services
 Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

This gathering symbolises the dawn of a new cream of dedicated, committed and people - centred police members, which we so desperately need 
in our fight against crime, and also to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of the our SAPS.

When the new democratic government was elected in 1994, our first challenge was to transform the SAPS into an effective and legitimate 
police service. Firstly, this had to be done through the amalgamation process of the three different police services i.e. the ex-homeland 
and the old SAP forces, within a single command structure. Secondly, we also had to build relations between the police and communities. A 
major priority was to get communities to accept and trust the police.

To realise this priority, a civilian structure known as the Secretariat for Safety and Security, had to be established to have a democratic 
oversight over the SAPS and monitor its activities to ensure that they are in line with the objectives of democratic policing. This was the 
dawn of the transformation process in the police service, which today, we have come to witness its product.

The new government expended considerable energy to combat the effects of the transition on the society of South Africa, with particular 
focus on rehabilitating the image of the police.

As a result of that process, the SAPS today enjoys a broad support of our communities, it serves. Whether it can sustain this acceptance 
and support, in the years ahead, will be determined by its operations and the service it provides to community members.

CHALLENGES OF POLICING IN A DEMOCRACY

Ladies and Gentlemen, what our democratic state requires is effective policing and better policemen and women. This also bears on skills 
levels, competitive earnings and motivation. Part of this quality building process is what we have come to witness today.

What we see today is a culmination of a motivational process to recognise members that render effective and outstanding service to our 
people. We need to remind ourselves time and again that the SAPS is a community orientated service that needs to be managed along business 
lines. We need to take the needs of our customers i.e. communities, into consideration and ensure that the services we provide are in line 
with their demands.

This on the other hand calls upon us to show dedication and commitment in the delivery of such services. Dedication and commitment, have to 
be accompanied by motivation. This does not come on its own but needs to be initiated and driven by management. Todays event is none other 
than that initiative by management and communities to honour the services being provided by those who risk their lives to ensure that they 
defend the rights of our people and our fledging Democracy.

We must commend the Port Elizabeth Area for kick-starting an all inclusive process, that entailed broad consultation and involvement of 
community members and the Secretariat for Safety and Security. This is a historic success, as almost all those that are here today, are not 
merely witnesses and spectators of this event, but, are participants in its organisation. Hence, we all have a stake and claim to this 
events success.

We need to recognise, whether we like it or not, the fact that the SAPS is not an entity on its own but is a law enforcement organ within 
the broader structure of the Department of Safety and Security. As a result of our adoption of Community Policing, the Police have changed 
from being accountable to themselves but to the communities on the ground.

Again, Ladies and Gentlemen, we have to applaud the Port Elizabeth Area, for recognising that vital point through the processes it has 
followed that culminated into this historic initiative.

STATE OF CRIME IN THE PROVINCE:

Whilst motivating our members, we also need to remind them of the challenges that they have to face daily in combating crime. You will 
totally agree with me that policemen and women have now become key targets of criminals. Hardly a day passes by without seeing gruesome 
sights on TV or hearing horrible news on radio, on the brutal slaying of police members, be they be on duty or outside duty.

This trend has become so serious that policemen and women are not only targets on the streets but criminals hunt them down at police 
stations and at their homes. It happens in Johannesburg, Cape Town, etc. and we might soon witness it here in the Eastern Cape.

We need to close ranks and become more united than ever before in confronting our enemy, crime. We need to put aside whatever differences 
we have as policemen and women and focus on the challenges ahead i.e. ensuring that we reach our target of reducing priority crimes guided 
by our priorities and objectives for this year. The increase on the attacks on the elderly, the rape of women and children, and other 
violent crimes, is increasing daily in this part of the province.

The Port Elizabeth Area has the highest rape statistics than any other area in the province and surely something needs to be done about 
this. Rape is one of our priority crimes that need to be focussed upon. We need to fully utilise the resources and strengths in the form of 
the quality of policemen and women we have in this area to tackle these challenges, which are a psychological trauma to the elderly, women 
and children.

The continuing rising trend in the jail escapes in the Umtata Area is also another area of concern, and the same goes to the increasing 
armed robbery of businesses, banks, etc in that area. We need to link the rate of these escapes with the rate of armed robberies that are 
happening almost on a daily basis in the Transkei, especially as we approach the second democratic elections. We have to strengthen the 
role of CPFs in this campaign against crime so that we shift from discussing confrontational and irrelevant issues in these structures and 
instead become focussed and productive.

We have to boost the performance of CPFs, keeping in mind the fact that political transitions present opportunities for criminal 
organisations to exploit during the reconstruction of social and governmental institutions.

Criminals inevitably fill the gaps that emerge between the demise of the old and the establishment of the new institutions. This is a 
living example in our country, hence, the call for increased productivity in the CPFs.

Having recognised that, therefore, all community based structures involved in anti-crime activities, need to step up their activities so as 
to neutralise the criminal elements in our communities, particularly at this point in time.

Lastly, let me once again congratulate those dedicated policemen and women who have taken it upon themselves to defend and shield our 
communities from crime. These are the people who surely regard the service they provide to the communities as a call and not just a mere 
profession or one of the areas of employment to earn a living.

To all honest and loyal police members, I wish to make a call to you to campaign strongly and fearlessly to win over those members that are 
still in the dark as to whether they are servants of the people or mere employees of the SAPS. We need, as we advance towards the 
strengthening and consolidation of our democracy, to pull our muscles to ensure that we score more victories against crime and fly high 
with pride, the flag of the SAPS.

If we did this successfully, we would have turned the Police Service, not only into a Community - centred Service, but into a "Peoples 
Service and powerful Organ of Power".

I thank you

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