MONDAY, 25 MAY 1998, PIETERMARITZBURG
Mr Chairman, Sir
It would be of greatest hypocrisy and non commitment to truth if one does not acknowledge the grave situation we are facing when it comes to policing generally, in particular this province. My duty remains with the province I get paid for working in this province and the people of this province expect service from this house. It is on that score then I would stay relevant by giving more accounts about the province.
But I would like immediately to say I am not a complete rigid unreasonable pessimist which can't see life even where there is water and oxygen. So again I would acknowledge achievement obtained in the province.
Firstly, I would like to thank the Safety and Security Portfolio Committee which has brought its diversity to its greatest unity without hesitant one could claim that this committee has turned itself to be university of committees. It is out of its robust, unreserved, critical sometimes emotional discussions that has resulted on the best results this committee has come with. I hope that will continue.
Nonetheless, one can say without reservation that the Committee has not reached its maximum potential to deal with emergency and security threatening matters, also the meetings with the MEC for Safety and security have been irregular with the Committee. Although he is always represented, we would have love to share our meetings with him personally. Well. I think there are many role players concerning safety and security that have been instrumental to keep committee on its toes.
As I have said above there are achievements made by police in this province And we thank them for that and we hope they improve and do even better. They have managed to take the province of KwaZulu-Natal out of the top drawer of the most crime ridden provinces in South Africa in most of the serious crimes we have become better, nonetheless we remain close to the top. Maybe is one of the success stories that the Committee has improved its working relationship with the management of the province. We are thankful that the recruitment of the new recruits has been opened again, that we also have the members who have been sent to the police academy in Gauteng to improve their skills. We also greatful and upbeat about the creation of more Community Policing Fora in the province including the Provincial Board, although many of these CPFs remain dormant and non functional.
We believe also that the visit of the National Portfolio of Safety and Security in this province, gave us an opportunity to broaden our understanding of policing matters and better working relationship with the national.
We have witnessed the beginning of sharing the police resources, after the building of the new police stations in places like KwaXimba and one on the pipeline at Ndwedwe, and turning of the sod for the new centre at Nsimbini in Mbumbulu.
As I have said above I am an optimist in life I don't care how dark the night can be, I know the next day will dawn, leaves will produce oxygen again and sun will shine to show the shape of the world. But, in the police there are things which defy all this natural logic.
Politicians have been accused in this house of interfering in the professional functioning of the police, but listen to this. "Top cop fed up with his hard line colleagues" this is what that top cop had to say "I have been unable to influence most of my white colleagues that transformation should be driven forcefully. They will cling to power as long as they can. They feel threatened and do not see themselves working under a black man" he went further to say "there's only one commander working in direct contact with me while there are many under white heads of components. Look how many white directors there are. They are in charge of many key components, yet there's only a handful of Africans.
This top cop did not end there, he went on to say "Transformation relating to training and development of the historically disadvantaged in the police service particular Africans, has not been given full attention. AS a result one finds the majority of blacks concentrated in lower ranks and not involved in decision making".
Mr Chairperson, Sir
I fully concur with these facts.
As if this is not enough the very high degree and highly sophisticated corruption has wormed itself to the highest level of the police service hence today you find the police freely and proudly explaining and elaborating on their plan how to hijack vans with cash in transit.
This is an explanation given by one of the planners, "There are people in high positions within the police force who are so deeply involved themselves that they know the chances of being freed are good." This police further explains that the R31million SBV accused were acquitted because the investigating officers systematical and deliberately bungled the evidence.
Madam Chair,
If anyone says this is not serious to the limit should be examined by the best psychologist this country can produce.
The question is who should deal with these matters, who should give answers to this house when questions are asked about the non- developmental programmes of the members, non-provision of training for the formally disadvantaged members, could I remind this house that the Portfolio Committee of Safety and Security has requested sometimes demanded the provision of this plan to itself by the Provincial Commissioner many a times with no success at all? Who should deal with the corruption within the service in this province? Who should make sure that all the members are discipline and checked all the time if they do maintain the proper morals and standards? Who should check that the members who need improvement and training are trained and improved? Who should check that racism is completely uprooted from this organisation, who should ensure that few top cops we have do not get frustrated and leave the province? I want to believe that is work for the provincial Commissioner, he gets paid just for that. THe main question that should be answered now, does the dear Commissioner delivering, does he spent his time applying his mind on this questions, and does he find answers? At least I know the answer on these questions. The answer in No. What does he do then?
He spent most of his time writing letters and articles to the media tackling and dealing with political matters. If you don't believe me that he has become a political leader without a political party, just listen to this.
"The present demand that the camp be immediately closed and the equipment etc be placed in storage amounts to a complete shifting of the goal posts and, if anybody is pussyfooting around, it is most certainly not the SAPS. We have been quite willing to co-operate from the outset and are still willing to do so, but not on totally unreasonable and one-sided terms." he went further to say,"We are constrained to deliver service by the needs of the communities and cannot allow the dictates of politicians whose vacillating motives are anything but clear, to determine when, where and how we should provide a policing service".
This is a statement said by supposedly Provincial Commissioner to the Multi Party Committee of both Safety and Security and Environmental Affairs established by the Minister in this House to settle the developmental problems in the far north of the province of KwaZulu- Natal.
That is why one calls on this politician in the making to leave office of the Provincial Commissioner and either to join any political party of his choice, but by look of things it looks like he will be more suitable to lead the party that he will form after he has excelled so much in attacking politicians rather than attacking crime which is job he gets paid for.
Thank You