Release of Marikana Panel of Experts report is critical for engagement with new SAPS bill
24 November 2020
The organisations and individuals below note with serious concern that, almost two and a half years after it was finalised and handed to the Minister of Police, the final report of the Marikana panel of experts has not been released. The release of the report, which was scheduled to take place at the Portfolio Committee on Police meeting tomorrow, the 25th of November, has now been postponed indefinitely. Without the release of the report, we believe that we cannot engage properly with the new SAPS Act amendment Bill.
The multi-disciplinary panel consisted of local and international policing experts. It was established by the Cabinet on the recommendations of the Marikana Commission and required to examine systemic problems in policing highlighted by the August 2012 Marikana massacre.
According to Themba Masuku, a former member of the panel, and now with the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum,
“The panel’s report is not just grounded in the events at Marikana but also in the current policing, protest and crowd management environment. The report focuses on key challenges related to police governance, leadership and accountability and the system of public order policing. It is highly relevant to addressing the present challenges facing the SAPS and the POP units.”
Another former member of the panel, Gareth Newham of the Institute for Security Studies says,
“The report was completed over a two year period with inputs from various organisations including police unions. It is the most detailed review of policing in South Africa since the establishment of the SAPS in 1995. The report contains nothing that is prejudicial to any person or organisation. The recommendations of the panel, if implemented would be likely to substantially improve policing and public safety in South Africa.”
The recent publication of the draft SAPS Act amendment Bill highlights the importance of releasing the panel report. Opportunities for comment to the Civilian Secretariat for Police on the draft Bill comes to a close this week on Friday 27 November. The failure to release the report has already limited the ability of the public to engage properly with the draft Bill.
The memorandum to the draft Bill states that parts of the Bill have been informed by recommendations made by the panel. For those concerned to understand the motivation for key provisions of the draft Bill it is therefore necessary for them to have access to the panel report.
Adele Kirsten, the Director of Gun Free South Africa, and also a former panel member says:
“Section 58 of the South African Constitution requires that opportunities be provided for meaningful public engagement with legislation. Without access to this report, a key source documents for the draft Bill, this will not be possible. The Bill will be submitted to Parliament for deliberation and finalisation, possibly early next year. The availability of the report will be critical to enable all stakeholders including MPs, the police, unions, civil society and others to engage with and debate it.”
The undersigned organisations and individuals therefore call on Minister Cele to urgently release the final report of the panel. We believe that there can be no reasonable justification for further delay in releasing the report. Releasing the report is likely to be of considerable benefit in enhancing understanding of how to address major challenges facing policing in South Africa.
Statement supported and endorsed by:
Organisations
African Criminal Justice Reform, University of the Western Cape
African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation
Centre of Criminology, University of Cape Town
Corruption Watch
Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution
Democracy, Governance and Rights Unit, University of Cape Town
Equal Education
Gun Free South Africa
Helen Suzman Foundation
Institute for Justice and Reconciliation
Institute for Security Studies
Lawyers for Human Rights
Legal Resources Centre
NdifunaUkwazi
Omega Research Foundation (UK)
Public Affairs Research Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
Right to Protest Project, Centre for Applied Legal Studies, University of the Witwatersrand
Right2Know Campaign
Section 27
Social Justice Coalition
Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa
Sonke Gender Justice
South African History Archive
South African Police Union.
Individuals
The Honourable Mr Justice Ian Farlam, former judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal, and Chairperson of the Marikana Commission
Dr Kelly Gillespie, University of the Western Cape.
Dr Mary Rayner, Research Associate University of London and 30 years of collaborations on South/southern African human rights concerns.
Prof. Christi van der Westhuizen, Associate Professor, Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy (CANRAD), Nelson Mandela University
Allan Zinn, Director, Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy, Nelson Mandela University
Issued by Helen Suzman Foundation, 24 November 2020
Background notes:
The report is titled “Final report’ by ‘The Panel of Experts on Policing and Crowd Management established by the Minister of Police in terms of the recommendations of the Marikana Commission.’
