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Opening of Qolora police station
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Safety Liaison and Transport

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 EASTERN  CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

SPEECH BY THE MEC FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY

OPENING OF THE QOLORA POLICE STATION

11 OCTOBER 1997



INTRODUCTION

The Acting Provincial Commissioner
 Area Commissioner
 Councillors
 Leaders of Our Community Organisations
 Members of the Area Community Police Board
Police officials and members of the S.A.P.S.
 Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen



On behalf of the Department for Safety and Security, I feel honoured and grateful to be associated with the opening of this Police Station 
which I regard as a valuable asset for the police and communities of Qolora. It is my pleasure to witness visible service delivery, 
particularly in this part of the province. We, in the Department for Safety and Security, regards the opening of this police station as a 
landmark in our history.

What we are witnessing here today is indeed history if one considers the lack of infrastructure and resources in the rural parts of the 
province, particularly in the former homeland and rural areas as well as those areas that were previously disadvantaged and marginalised. 
When we make reference to delivery and transformation, we mean meaningful change in the lives of our people, particularly their living 
conditions. In reality, the opening of this police station has brought a meaningful change in the lives of members of the SAPS and 
communities of Qolora.



SERVICE DELIVERY AND DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES

Echoing the words of the Minister for Safety and Security, South Africa has a safety and security system in which the political and 
civilian leaders as well as management of the SAPS are aligned towards the same goal of effective and service orientated policing within 
the framework of democratic values and accountability.

It is now the time to truly make this new system, i.e Community Policing, effective by focusing the SAPS on improving service delivery, 
particularly at station level where most of our interaction with individuals and communities occur.

Visible change in terms of police performance can only produce desired results when we begin to change the conditions under which police 
members live and work. This on its own is morale boosting in addition to other incentives that are intended to encourage them to excel in 
their work.

The Department for Safety and Security has committed itself to focus on the former homelands and also the formerly disadvantaged areas in 
terms of the redistribution of resources and improvement of working conditions, which, in this case, refers to the renovation, repair and 
construction of police stations and living quarters for police members.

Improvement of working and living conditions is one of the most important factors that motivate police members, particularly those serving 
the areas that were historically and politically disadvantaged by the past system.

The Qolora police station is strategically placed if one takes into consideration the tourist attraction infrastructure and Holiday Resorts 
around here such as the Kei Mouth Hotel and ferry that transports visitors across the river. The Qolora area is also set to boom with 
business and an influx of visitors, especially with the construction of a tarred road between Butterworth and Centani. Another factor that 
is set to boost this area is the construction of the proposed Centani Community Safety Centre, the first of its kind to be built in the 
country.



CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES OF THE DEPARTMENT

It is now common knowledge that the Department for Safety and Security embarked on a national strategy, the National Crime Prevention 
Strategy, whose intended outcomes are, amongst others, to create confidence in the Government's ability to tackle and manage the crime 
problem and also to achieve an absolute reduction in the incidence of serious crime in the medium term in a sustainable way.

We are glad to announce that this strategy has managed to produce the following achievements:

Revitalising the justice process in the Tsolo/Qumbu area in the former Transkei, Release of a new Firearm Strategy to reverse the 
proliferation of firearms, Provincial Crime Prevention Summits have been held in all nine provinces where a range of pro-active crime 
preventative initiatives have been designed and Establishment of Task Team dealing with escapes from custody.

Despite the above achievements there are still challenges that face the Department. Some of these challenges are the following:

Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, Escapes from prison, Corruption in the Civil Service, Fraud in Government Departments, Armed 
Robbery, Rape, Murder and Child abuse.

It is our strong belief that all the above can be achieved through determination, dedication and effective partnership of all stakeholders 
guided by our Crime Prevention Strategies.



COMMUNITY-POLICE RELATIONS AND PARTNERSHIP

In turn, we also expect policemen and women working in these police stations to serve the communities in a satisfactory manner geared 
towards an efficient service delivery. There can be no effective policing and eradication of crime if police and communities are isolated 
from each other or rather regard one another as adversaries. Gone are those days when communities were prevented from being involved in 
policing matters and gone are also those days when communities viewed the police as their enemies. The present democratic dispensation has 
made it possible for the communities to take part in policing that affects their own safety and security, this, in other words, means that 
there should be a joint partnership between the police and the communities.

In so saying, I therefore expect every member of the S.A.P.S. in this area to accept members of the communities as partners in the campaign 
against crime while on the other hand, communities of Qolora participate in building community-police relations.

The responsibility of ensuring that community policing succeeds and achieve its objectives, rests with both the communities and the police.

This I say with reference to the constitution which regards community policing as the only style of policing adopted in South Africa.

By being associated with this partnership, communities are therefore tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that this police station, 
which is a community property, is safeguarded so that it is not vandalised. Communities and the police here must have a sense of ownership 
and should guard against vandalism, theft and misuse of government property which is paid for by taxpayers moneys. It was sad to learn 
recently that this police station, after completion, was occupied by goats.



CRIME, VIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION

Community Police Forums should mobilise and sensitise communities in this area against involvement in criminal activities, so that, 
criminal elements within their midst could be exposed. Community values should be instilled so that communities could also be discouraged 
from buying stolen goods and harbouring criminals through anti-crime campaigns and other initiatives. In this way, people could also be 
educated about the dangers and effects of crime. This role or exercise should not only be limited to the communities but also to the police 
themselves as they also need to be transformed.

I am mentioning this, because, it is a fact that some of them are conniving with criminals, while others are engaged in activities that 
tend to undermine the integrity of the SAPS. We all need to work together in this area by taking measures that will ensure that crime is 
reduced through participating in Anti-Crime or Crime Awareness Campaigns and Local Community Police Forums.

This station has not been built for the purpose of merely decorating but for rendering an efficient and effective service to the people of 
Qolora and surrounding areas. The police and the communities here must rally together, co-operate with one another and assist each other in 
combating crime in this area.

Police members have also to stop misusing police vehicles and properties or resources that are meant to benefit communities. They should 
refrain from abusing alcohol during working hours. I therefore wish to call upon all police members to stop engagging themselves in such 
corrupt practices.

In conclusion, let us exploit the resources at our disposal to deal a heavy blow to crime and this police station is one of the resources 
that we have. To the communities, I say, here you have a weapon, a facility, a resource with which to fight crime and lawlessness so that 
you can create a foundation for peace and stable social values. To the members of the S.A.P.S, I say, use this resource to the best of your 
ability for the betterment of the society and eradication of crime.

I thank You.

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