Report on Delivery to Women

21. SAFETY AND SECURITY

    Internal Achievements

    • The Department has an official policy of acceleration of equality between men and women.
    • A gender equity seminar for top management of the SAPS was held in 1997 and a booklet was published.
    • Women are being trained in order to participate more in the functional stream of specialised policing areas.

„ The white paper envisages the development of a human resources strategy which will determine the number and types to be filled as well as the contractual capacity in which staff are to be employed. The strategy will include more flexible working patterns and the implementation of performance management. Many of the proposals are contained in the proposed regulations to the Public Service Act 1994.

Achievements For South African Women

Policies and Legislation

• The White paper on Safety and Security (1998) advocates a representative, democratic and accountable Department, aimed at delivering a professional service to all citizens. The policy interventions of active and visible policing, and victim empowerment, as well as effective crime prevention programmes will benefit women and children in particular.

Programmes and Activities

• The implementation of the policy will prioritise the prevention of violence against women and children
• The Department will implement the Batho Pele Strategy
• The SAPS are working together with the Department of Justice and the CGE to prevent violence against women and children.
• Domestic Violence: family violence, child protection and sexual offences Unit members’ primary goal is to make the public aware of crimes committed. The role of the public in preventing and combating these crimes and the role of the CPU/Family Violence and, child protection and sexual offences unit.
• A module for Domestic violence is part of the basic training at police colleges.
• By December 2001, 2 411 lectures on Domestic Violence have been presented to people of all ages, ranging from children to adults.
• Posters, Pamphlets have been used as a way of sensitising the public on domestic violence and this information is conveyed to the community by means of articles in the media, presentation of talks/lectures and SAPS internet website (www.saps.org.za)
• By December 2001, there were 30 CPUs and 5 Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units. In 158 smaller centres, there were special individuals attached to the local Detective Branches who police the relevant family violence, child protection and sexual offences units.
• By December 2001, 524 police stations had established Trauma Centres for private consultation: evidential, medical and counselling services.
• Some of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Units have established one stop care centres
• RSA ratified the UN Convention on Trafficking in June 2003. The SA Law Commission is currently investigating an appropriate legal framework for Trafficking in Women
• The EU is funding the SAPS project on Refurbishment and capacity increase for Forensic Labs. This will impact positively on the identification of sexual offenders for rape and other sex offence cases.

„ The white paper envisages the development of a human resources strategy which will determine the number and types to be filled as well as the contractual capacity in which staff are to be employed. The strategy will include more flexible working patterns and the implementation of performance management. Many of the proposals are contained in the proposed regulations to the Public Service Act 1994.