Nathi Mthethwa, the re-appointed Minister of Police, faces many serious challenges ahead. The Police Service is in a shambles and the Government has lost the war on crime in South Africa . The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Police Minister to follow a five step action plan to target key weaknesses within the SAPS so that citizens may extricate themselves from the web of terror caused by crime.
First, Minister Mthethwa needs to relieve Jackie Selebi of his duties, appoint a new National Police Commissioner and fill vacancies within the command structure of the SAPS. Tomorrow marks Selebi's sixteenth month of suspended leave at a cost of nearly R1.5 million to the tax payer. A top priority should be to appoint a new Commissioner, as well to fill various vacancies in senior posts that hinder the department's ability to function. Currently two Deputy Commissioner positions stand vacant and two Divisional Commissioners face criminal charges. New appointees should be security specialists and their appointments must be based on merit, not quotas or political motivations.
Second, we need more police staff and an overhaul of police training. More trained police officers and additional detective staff are required so that criminals can be brought to justice. South Africa barely meets the UN's basic standard of 1 policeman for every 400 citizens. Not only must staff be recruited, but current officers' performance needs to be improved through skills training, fitness tests and performance management systems.
Third, the DA calls on the Minister to release 2008 crime statistics immediately. Minister Mthethwa has gone back on his predecessor's pledge to publish statistics on a bi-annual basis, deciding to release them only once per year in an effort to avoid making crime statistics available shortly before the elections. Updated and accurate information on crime is an essential tool in fighting crime and creating real and localised responses.
The fourth step is to adequately resource Forensic Science Laboratories (FSL) and eradicate vacancies. FSLs are one of the crucial breakdown points in the criminal justice system. At present, they are unable to efficiently process crime scene evidence and the current backlog of over 20,000 samples stops our courts from convicting criminals.
Fifth, Minister Mthethwa must reinstate specialised units immediately. These are crucial in dealing with specific forms of crime successfully, and of particular urgency here is the reestablishment of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) as well as the Narcotics Bureau.
A credible bureau to investigate corruption also needs to be established. Though we believe that the Scorpions, located in the Justice Department, represents the best model for tackling high level and serious corruption within the government, in the absence thereof, the new DPCI must be given the scope and autonomy to conduct investigations without SAPS interference, and the retention of former DSO investigators is of utmost importance.
These are the five key priorities for Minister Mthethwa and his department to address. We will be watching very closely the Minister's handling of his department, as well as the performance of his new deputy, Fikile Mbalula. Mr Mbalula has absolutely no qualifications that would make him a suitable candidate for this post, and it is questionable what value he will be able to add to it.
Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, Democratic Alliance spokesperson on safety and security, May 11 2009
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