I feel greatly honoured by your decision to invite me to come and share our thoughts on pertinent issues affecting our country. This meeting marks a significant milestone in realizing in our goal and governments commitment of strengthening partnerships with all sectors and stakeholders in our fight against crime.
Distinguished guests, the subject and purpose of today’s gathering is very close to my heart, it is for this reason that I would argue that private sector plays a major role in government’s crucial mandate of serving our communities with diligence and pride but furthermore maximize all our resources in fiercely combating crime and creating safer communities.
Ladies and gentlemen the honorable President of the Republic of South Africa Mr Jacob Zuma, in his inaugural address to Parliament gave a clear instruction to the SAPS and said “Working together with all South Africans, we will intensify the fight against crime and corruption”. The President further made a pronouncement that Ministry of Police is in the process of establishing a dedicated unit, which will focus on deepening interaction with communities, business fraternity, legal fraternity and faith based organizations among others.
Our meeting here today is directly responding to that call and therefore our approach going forward needs to be coordinated and serve as a multiplier force in restoring and maintaining public order in our fight against crime.
During my first few days as the National Commissioner I visited all nine provinces in six days meeting all 1116 station commanders in the country. Pockets of excellence were discovered but yes are challenges in other areas of our policing. We have set targets and have further agreed that our budget will talk to our priorities if we are indeed serious about the safety of all South Africans.
Ladies and gentlemen we have observed with great concern some of the challenges confronting the SAPS and we believe more needs to be done towards evolving a smooth functioning model going forward. To this end the SAPS is currently working on a programme of getting legally trained people for statement taking in our community service centers. This is one area that has been heavily compromised in the SAPS - we are doing this so that our statements can stand the test of time in court processes. To this end we have agreed that the whole criminal justice chain of government needs to be tightened in order to respond accordingly to challenges.
Distinguished guests, there needs to be a clear understanding and recognition by all South Africans that SAPS is not a Zama Zama organization nor a dustbin of failures. SAPS is the organization of the best, we need best Maths and Science students to run our laboratories, pilot our choppers to crime scenes and Charted Accountants for commercial crime in the new wing of the Hawks.
One of the issues currently receiving our urgent attention is the recruitment of our men and women in blue. This is a critical area that requires a well considered approach that will take into account long term interest of the organization. The recruitment process will be community driven with an understanding that our police needs to be anchored in communities if we are indeed serious about effective and efficient policing.
Yes we are doing well in quantity (183 000 members) but we need to improve in quality which is why we have embarked on a programme of retraining our officers to the level of NIU hence the formation of the new Technical Response Team (TUT) which will be based at station level. Physical fitness of all men and women in blue is our priority and therefore going to the gym is compulsory for all members. We cannot have police officers with ‘kissing stomachs’ – they need to be fit and be equal to the task of fighting crime.
Another critical element in our fight against crime is our detective capacity hence an urgent need to review our promotion policy, in this connection a principle decision have been taken not to promote our members involved in specialized fields of operations. We have literally lost most of our detectives to be station commanders. We need to promote packages and leave officers in what they do best and this we believe will make a serious dent in fighting crime.
Distinguished guests we have been lambasted by our communities, media and everyone for corruption in the SAPS, laziness and low morale amongst others. There are mechanisms in place to address these challenges. The tide needs to change and I strongly believe that working together we can squeeze the space for criminals to zero – they will stop breathing, they will have a full understanding that South Africa is not a banana republic.
There has been a widespread, albeit premature debate on the intended amendments to section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act. The amendments to section 49 are aimed at clarifying ambiguities. We need to point out that many in our society in particular the media have sensationalized and misinterpreted this issue. There has been a general failure to recognize the use of deadly force which already applies in the current section 49 under review.
In conclusion ladies and gentlemen, South Africa has been painted as a ‘crime heaven’ in international countries, which is why we are questioning patriotism in their reporting. Most INTERPOL countries have refrained from releasing crime statistics however in South African the practice is still continuing. This could be a debate for another day but what needs to be clear is that; the release of crime statistics needs to assist police in devising new strategies of fighting crime, if not then it defeats the purpose. Communities’ needs to speak for themselves that crime levels are going down instead of statistics.
There has been a disturbing trend lately, communities and especially young people are idolizing crime. This is a major challenge not only for the police but for everyone gathering in this hall today. Effective partnerships and community participation in our areas of governance is crucial, we cannot underestimate the enormity of the responsibility that we have for the people of this country. Criminals reside in communities, criminals don’t come with rain and therefore they must be exposed and we need to deal with them decisively.
As we transverse our country’s landscape, carrying on shoulders, the country’s hopes for a secure and a safe South Africa, we are always motivated that millions of South Africans are fully behind us in the fight against crime hence we say when duty calls, together we are doing it.
I thank you.
Address by the SAPS National Commissioner BHEKI CELE at The Law Society of the Northern Provinces AGM
Sun City, North West
07 November 2009
Programme Director
The President of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces, Mr Charlie Mnisi
All protocol observed
Distinguished guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
I feel greatly honoured by your decision to invite me to come and share our thoughts on pertinent issues affecting our country. This meeting marks a significant milestone in realizing in our goal and governments commitment of strengthening partnerships with all sectors and stakeholders in our fight against crime.
Distinguished guests, the subject and purpose of today’s gathering is very close to my heart, it is for this reason that I would argue that private sector plays a major role in government’s crucial mandate of serving our communities with diligence and pride but furthermore maximize all our resources in fiercely combating crime and creating safer communities.
Ladies and gentlemen the honorable President of the Republic of South Africa Mr Jacob Zuma, in his inaugural address to Parliament gave a clear instruction to the SAPS and said “Working together with all South Africans, we will intensify the fight against crime and corruption”. The President further made a pronouncement that Ministry of Police is in the process of establishing a dedicated unit, which will focus on deepening interaction with communities, business fraternity, legal fraternity and faith based organizations among others.
Our meeting here today is directly responding to that call and therefore our approach going forward needs to be coordinated and serve as a multiplier force in restoring and maintaining public order in our fight against crime.
During my first few days as the National Commissioner I visited all nine provinces in six days meeting all 1116 station commanders in the country. Pockets of excellence were discovered but yes are challenges in other areas of our policing. We have set targets and have further agreed that our budget will talk to our priorities if we are indeed serious about the safety of all South Africans.
Ladies and gentlemen we have observed with great concern some of the challenges confronting the SAPS and we believe more needs to be done towards evolving a smooth functioning model going forward. To this end the SAPS is currently working on a programme of getting legally trained people for statement taking in our community service centers. This is one area that has been heavily compromised in the SAPS - we are doing this so that our statements can stand the test of time in court processes. To this end we have agreed that the whole criminal justice chain of government needs to be tightened in order to respond accordingly to challenges.
Distinguished guests, there needs to be a clear understanding and recognition by all South Africans that SAPS is not a Zama Zama organization nor a dustbin of failures. SAPS is the organization of the best, we need best Maths and Science students to run our laboratories, pilot our choppers to crime scenes and Charted Accountants for commercial crime in the new wing of the Hawks.
One of the issues currently receiving our urgent attention is the recruitment of our men and women in blue. This is a critical area that requires a well considered approach that will take into account long term interest of the organization. The recruitment process will be community driven with an understanding that our police needs to be anchored in communities if we are indeed serious about effective and efficient policing.
Yes we are doing well in quantity (183 000 members) but we need to improve in quality which is why we have embarked on a programme of retraining our officers to the level of NIU hence the formation of the new Technical Response Team (TUT) which will be based at station level. Physical fitness of all men and women in blue is our priority and therefore going to the gym is compulsory for all members. We cannot have police officers with ‘kissing stomachs’ – they need to be fit and be equal to the task of fighting crime.
Another critical element in our fight against crime is our detective capacity hence an urgent need to review our promotion policy, in this connection a principle decision have been taken not to promote our members involved in specialized fields of operations. We have literally lost most of our detectives to be station commanders. We need to promote packages and leave officers in what they do best and this we believe will make a serious dent in fighting crime.
Distinguished guests we have been lambasted by our communities, media and everyone for corruption in the SAPS, laziness and low morale amongst others. There are mechanisms in place to address these challenges. The tide needs to change and I strongly believe that working together we can squeeze the space for criminals to zero – they will stop breathing, they will have a full understanding that South Africa is not a banana republic.
There has been a widespread, albeit premature debate on the intended amendments to section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act. The amendments to section 49 are aimed at clarifying ambiguities. We need to point out that many in our society in particular the media have sensationalized and misinterpreted this issue. There has been a general failure to recognize the use of deadly force which already applies in the current section 49 under review.
In conclusion ladies and gentlemen, South Africa has been painted as a ‘crime heaven’ in international countries, which is why we are questioning patriotism in their reporting. Most INTERPOL countries have refrained from releasing crime statistics however in South African the practice is still continuing. This could be a debate for another day but what needs to be clear is that; the release of crime statistics needs to assist police in devising new strategies of fighting crime, if not then it defeats the purpose. Communities’ needs to speak for themselves that crime levels are going down instead of statistics.
There has been a disturbing trend lately, communities and especially young people are idolizing crime. This is a major challenge not only for the police but for everyone gathering in this hall today. Effective partnerships and community participation in our areas of governance is crucial, we cannot underestimate the enormity of the responsibility that we have for the people of this country. Criminals reside in communities, criminals don’t come with rain and therefore they must be exposed and we need to deal with them decisively.
As we transverse our country’s landscape, carrying on shoulders, the country’s hopes for a secure and a safe South Africa, we are always motivated that millions of South Africans are fully behind us in the fight against crime hence we say when duty calls, together we are doing it.
I thank you.
Address by the SAPS National Commissioner BHEKI CELE at The Law Society of the Northern Provinces AGM
Sun City, North West
07 November 2009
Programme Director
The President of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces, Mr Charlie Mnisi
All protocol observed
Distinguished guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
I feel greatly honoured by your decision to invite me to come and share our thoughts on pertinent issues affecting our country. This meeting marks a significant milestone in realizing in our goal and governments commitment of strengthening partnerships with all sectors and stakeholders in our fight against crime.
Distinguished guests, the subject and purpose of today’s gathering is very close to my heart, it is for this reason that I would argue that private sector plays a major role in government’s crucial mandate of serving our communities with diligence and pride but furthermore maximize all our resources in fiercely combating crime and creating safer communities.
Ladies and gentlemen the honorable President of the Republic of South Africa Mr Jacob Zuma, in his inaugural address to Parliament gave a clear instruction to the SAPS and said “Working together with all South Africans, we will intensify the fight against crime and corruption”. The President further made a pronouncement that Ministry of Police is in the process of establishing a dedicated unit, which will focus on deepening interaction with communities, business fraternity, legal fraternity and faith based organizations among others.
Our meeting here today is directly responding to that call and therefore our approach going forward needs to be coordinated and serve as a multiplier force in restoring and maintaining public order in our fight against crime.
During my first few days as the National Commissioner I visited all nine provinces in six days meeting all 1116 station commanders in the country. Pockets of excellence were discovered but yes are challenges in other areas of our policing. We have set targets and have further agreed that our budget will talk to our priorities if we are indeed serious about the safety of all South Africans.
Ladies and gentlemen we have observed with great concern some of the challenges confronting the SAPS and we believe more needs to be done towards evolving a smooth functioning model going forward. To this end the SAPS is currently working on a programme of getting legally trained people for statement taking in our community service centers. This is one area that has been heavily compromised in the SAPS - we are doing this so that our statements can stand the test of time in court processes. To this end we have agreed that the whole criminal justice chain of government needs to be tightened in order to respond accordingly to challenges.
Distinguished guests, there needs to be a clear understanding and recognition by all South Africans that SAPS is not a Zama Zama organization nor a dustbin of failures. SAPS is the organization of the best, we need best Maths and Science students to run our laboratories, pilot our choppers to crime scenes and Charted Accountants for commercial crime in the new wing of the Hawks.
One of the issues currently receiving our urgent attention is the recruitment of our men and women in blue. This is a critical area that requires a well considered approach that will take into account long term interest of the organization. The recruitment process will be community driven with an understanding that our police needs to be anchored in communities if we are indeed serious about effective and efficient policing.
Yes we are doing well in quantity (183 000 members) but we need to improve in quality which is why we have embarked on a programme of retraining our officers to the level of NIU hence the formation of the new Technical Response Team (TUT) which will be based at station level. Physical fitness of all men and women in blue is our priority and therefore going to the gym is compulsory for all members. We cannot have police officers with ‘kissing stomachs’ – they need to be fit and be equal to the task of fighting crime.
Another critical element in our fight against crime is our detective capacity hence an urgent need to review our promotion policy, in this connection a principle decision have been taken not to promote our members involved in specialized fields of operations. We have literally lost most of our detectives to be station commanders. We need to promote packages and leave officers in what they do best and this we believe will make a serious dent in fighting crime.
Distinguished guests we have been lambasted by our communities, media and everyone for corruption in the SAPS, laziness and low morale amongst others. There are mechanisms in place to address these challenges. The tide needs to change and I strongly believe that working together we can squeeze the space for criminals to zero – they will stop breathing, they will have a full understanding that South Africa is not a banana republic.
There has been a widespread, albeit premature debate on the intended amendments to section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act. The amendments to section 49 are aimed at clarifying ambiguities. We need to point out that many in our society in particular the media have sensationalized and misinterpreted this issue. There has been a general failure to recognize the use of deadly force which already applies in the current section 49 under review.
In conclusion ladies and gentlemen, South Africa has been painted as a ‘crime heaven’ in international countries, which is why we are questioning patriotism in their reporting. Most INTERPOL countries have refrained from releasing crime statistics however in South African the practice is still continuing. This could be a debate for another day but what needs to be clear is that; the release of crime statistics needs to assist police in devising new strategies of fighting crime, if not then it defeats the purpose. Communities’ needs to speak for themselves that crime levels are going down instead of statistics.
There has been a disturbing trend lately, communities and especially young people are idolizing crime. This is a major challenge not only for the police but for everyone gathering in this hall today. Effective partnerships and community participation in our areas of governance is crucial, we cannot underestimate the enormity of the responsibility that we have for the people of this country. Criminals reside in communities, criminals don’t come with rain and therefore they must be exposed and we need to deal with them decisively.
As we transverse our country’s landscape, carrying on shoulders, the country’s hopes for a secure and a safe South Africa, we are always motivated that millions of South Africans are fully behind us in the fight against crime hence we say when duty calls, together we are doing it.
I thank you.
