Budget Vote 25 - Safety and Security: Only a willing government can
eradicate crime

Speech by ACDP leader Rev Kenneth R Meshoe MP

10 June 2003


All parties represented in this house agree that an increase of 11% in the
Safety and Security Budget is most welcome given the high crime rate in our
country. Where we differ is, understandably, how that budget should have
been allocated to different areas of need. The most important question we
need to ask ourselves is whether this budget presented to us will
substantially reduce high crime levels, ensure a higher conviction rate as a
result of more professional investigation by the police, or result in a
better quality service for our communities. A good question that has been
asked is whether taxpayers will get value for money from this budget. The
ACDP does not believe so, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, police officers that should be enforcing law and order say they are
confused about Section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act. Their work is not
made easier by the Minister and some senior officers who deny that their
ground troops are confused or unsure about what to do to affect an arrest of
a dangerous suspect. The fact that more than 60% of the police that were
killed this past year did not defend themselves when attacked confirms the
sad fact that many of them are not sure whether they can shoot in self
defence or not.

It is the responsibility of the Minister for Safety and Security to help
identify the source of this confusion and the reason why the police did not
defend themselves when attacked by criminals. Once the reasons are
identified, they must be corrected immediately. We ask how can the police
be expected to protect our people when they cannot protect themselves?

A very interesting observation to make is that since the National
Commissioner of Police revealed that 60% of the police killed in 2002 did
not defend themselves, human rights commissioners and organisations did not
cry foul, and these revelations did not make front page news in all our
major newspapers.

If the report was about 60% of the criminals who were killed by the police,
then people, especially human rights organisations would be spitting fire
and demanding a commission of inquiry. Madam Speaker, we in the ACDP would
like to know from the Minister whether there will be any formal Commission
of Inquiry into police killings? If yes, when should the report be expected
and if not, why not? We love and care for all our police and would love to
see them empowered to do their work with courage and confidence.

Secondly, desperate members of the community are being tempted to resort to
vigilantism because of high crime levels. These members of the communities
under siege say the police are refusing to rid their areas of crime and that
is why they illegally do it themselves. Last week, five suspected criminals
were necklaced by communities who also claimed that the police refused to
help them. Why should citizens resort to such extreme measures when they
have a government that should be protecting them? If government does not
want to see an increase in vigilantism, then they must pull up their socks.
An increase in mob justice is nothing but a wake up call to government to
take drastic measures to end crime before the nation slides into anarchy.

Thirdly, the Minister has been calling members of the public to come forward
with information that will lead to the arrest of crime suspects in their
communities. Some heeded the call by coming forward with information only
to have their identities revealed by the corrupt police officers.

Why should citizens continue to risk their lives and safety by reporting
criminals to the corrupt police who will alert the criminals about those who
reported them? It is government's responsibility to rid the Police Services
of all the criminals in police uniform.

The statistics released by the Independent Complaints Directorate that show
that police corruption had increased by more than 100% in a year are
worrying. Such statistics destroy public confidence in the police and
demoralises those dedicated police officials who want to do their work with
excellence and dignity. Government needs to reward and encourage all the
officers who serve with excellence but be ruthless and merciless with rotten
ones. The penalties that must be imposed on the police that commit crime
must be very high to teach them a lesson that crime does not pay even when
committed by the police.

Madam Speaker, supporting this budget vote today would be to send a wrong
message that figures of an increased budget will solve our crime problem.
No amount of money can do it, except a willing government. The ACDP urges
this government to truly make crime eradication their priority and not just
on paper.

Government must stop talking about stabilising crime in the so-called
hotspots and start eradicating crime from all our communities. Our streets
must be made safer.

The ACDP believes this can be done if there is a will on the part of
government to do it. Enough innocent women and children have been raped and
murdered. Enough is enough. This government must stop crime now.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------

For more information: Rev Kenneth Meshoe MP at 082 962 5884
Media Liaison: Charmaine Horne at 084 370 3550 or 021 403 3307



_______________________________________________
Parliamentnews mailing list
Parliamentnews@lists.acdp.org.za
http://lists.acdp.org.za/mailman/listinfo/parliamentnews