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11 May 2006
JCPS MEDIA BRIEFING MAY 2006
IntroductionOur cluster continues to be seized on the three priorities of better crime prevention and public safety, the strengthening of the criminal justice system and improvement of our national security. These priorities are a further contribution to the government’s growing public confidence in the creation of a united South Africa steeped in the greatest tenets of our democracy and the creation for peace and stability in our country.
1. Crime Prevention and Public Safety 1.1 Crime reduction We are incessantly working towards reducing the levels of crime by between 7% and 10% per annum until 2014. Particular attention is being given to contact crimes in the 169 priority areas. 15 priority areas spread over all nine provinces have been identified as pilot areas to implement developmental projects aimed at addressing the causes of contact crimes: A partnership has been formed between the Cluster and the Human Sciences Research Council to enhance the socio and demographic profiles of the 169 priority stations. Mamelodi was identified as a pilot project in this regard. The project will eventually be expanded to the other stations in the 15 prioritised areas and later to the remaining of the 169 stations. During the reporting period 5540 law-enforcement operations were launched focusing on contact crimes. These operations led to the following arrests: - Murder 2333 - Attempted murder 1619 - Rape 3967 - Indecent Assault 423 - Assault Common 11445 - Robbery Aggravating 3614 - Robbery 4010 In order to curb the incidence of Robbery Aggravated, ongoing operations are being conducted between SAPS, SABRIC, and other relevant roleplayers. During one such operation over the period December 2005 to January 2006 more than 200 suspects were arrested. 1.2 Social Crime Prevention Measures The SAPS conducted more than 42 anti – rape workshops throughout the country. Furthermore, members of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit and general detectives have been trained on FCS Investigations as well as the policing of Child Pornography. Also more than SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1 SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 190 members of SAPS were trained with regard to Domestic Violence and 91 members underwent the train-the-trainer Domestic Violence Course. The Safer Schools Programme has been implemented to more than 378 schools nationwide. We continue to do regular patrols, cordon and search, as well as intelligence-driven operations are being conducted at taxi ranks, train stations and tourism hotspots in order to improve safety in the public transport and tourism sectors. The rail transport pilot project in the Western Cape is currently being extended to other Provinces. Reduction of Firearms A total number of 27112 illegal firearms have been destroyed as a result of various operations. 5772 firearms and 60214 rounds of ammunition were confiscated during the reporting period. Repeat offendersMore than 297 repeat offenders, sought for various crimes committed, have been identified. 77 of these have been arrested during the reporting period for crimes ranging from armed and bank robberies, cash-in-transit heists, and hijackings. 196 suspects are still outstanding (24 were arrested prior to the reporting period). One of the arrested suspects, a Mozambique citizen, was arrested on 72 cases, including various house robbery and rape cases. More than 55,5 hectares of cannabis plantations were sprayed and an estimated 38,8 tons of cannabis to the value of R 38,85 million was destroyed. With regard to the monitoring of chemicals, 14 import and 31 export notifications were monitored. The following drugs were, inter alia, seized during law-enforcement operations: - Dagga 469,124 Kg - Mandrax 136,684 tablets - Ecstasy 4,295 tablets - Cocaine 4,6 Kg - Heroine 1,2 Kg - Crack 61,284 rocks - TIK 3,277 rocks A total of 12 883 suspects were arrested on drug-related charges. 16 illegal drug laboratories were dismantled during the reporting period. An Anti-drug Indaba was held in the Northern Cape while Drug Awareness Programmes were launched at schools in the Eastern Cape. Not less than 38 registered organised crime projects focussing on drugs are currently receiving attention. SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1The Cluster has developed a Liquor Control Strategy which was presented to the Department of Trade and Industry and Provincial Liquor Authorities, as well as other relevant stakeholders, for necessary comments/ contributions. Once approved, an implementation plan and process and procedure manual will be developed and implemented. The South African Police Service established a National Liquor Control Office within the Division: Crime Prevention. The aim of this office is to ensure the effective and efficient operationalization of liquor legislation. An interdepartmental platform to address all aspects related to the liquor industry in South Africa has been established between the National Liquor Control Office (SAPS) and the National Liquor Authority. Advances in technology: CCTV monitor systems are in the process of being expanded in KwaMashu, Inanda and Mafikeng. The existing Cape Town and Kimberley CCTV systems are currently being assessed for possible expansion. DNA: The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has installed and Automated DNA analysis system. This system will permit the FSL to double the daily analysis of samples which will have a direct impact on the amount of samples that can be analysed and will contribute significantly to the reduction of turn-around times. This system will become operational during July 2006. AFIS: 108 Live Scan Booking stations have been procured. Implementation will take place during 2006. These devices have the ability to capture finger and palm prints electronically, which will in turn improve the quality of prints added to the AFIS database. This will effectively assist in the identification of more suspects. Turn-around times and service delivery will be improved as it is a clean system and the use of black ink is eliminated. IBIS: The current IBIS system used at the Ballistics Units is a decentralized system with limited centralized functionality. To improve the system a project has been launched to develop progress towards a centralised system. This will ensure an improvement in respect of the success rate regarding the linking and solving of firearm-related cases.
2. Organised Crime Syndicates Corruption: There are currently several (15) organised crime projects addressing corruption. Suspects (18) have been arrested in this (11) cases. Organised Crime Syndicates: There are currently several 94 Organized Crime Projects. Over the reporting period, a total of 45 syndicate leaders and 52 syndicate runners have been arrested, whilst the Asset Forfeiture Investigation Unit made 13 preservation, 28 forfeiture and 7 restraint orders against the assets of suspects. Disruptive operations yielded the following successes: - Precious metals and diamonds 190 arrests - Drug-related cases 361 arrests. International Cooperation on Crime Combating The SAPS is involved in removing and destroying weapons and ammunition in Mozambique and the DRC. Lesotho was visited during the reporting period and planning has been completed to conduct a similar operation in Lesotho. In addition, a total of 69 vehicles were repatriated to South Africa from SADC countries, which include Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Swaziland, as part of cross-border operations.
3. Improving the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System 3.1 Enhancing Capacity of the Cluster Departments The SAPS has been allocated 11 000 posts for the 2006/2007 financial year which will bring the total staff establishment to 162 000. Provision has been made for the enlistment of 10 000 police officers and 1000 Public Service Act personnel. 155 320 posts have been filled as at 24 March 2006. SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1In order to improve service delivery to communities, the SAPS have re-engineered all its present processes, and are in the process of eradicating unnecessary/duplicated functions and activities. The current four hierarchical levels of the SAPS (national, provincial, and local/police station level) will be reduced to three organisational levels, namely national, provincial and local/police station level. National level will focus mainly on policy-making, the formulation of National Standards and perform its duties in accordance with Section 218 of the Constitution. The Provincial level will, in terms of Section 219 of the Constitution, be responsible for providing comprehensive policing services within the province. The local/police station level will be empowered to render a comprehensive operational policing service with maximum decision-making authority within a designated policing precinct. A flatter, decentralized structure with clearly defined functions for the SAPS will have the following impact on policing: § flattening of hierarchies in the SAPS; § the capacity at station level will be strengthened with sufficient resources, through relevant training, capacity building, the devolution of power/authority, placement of trained personnel, and allocation of physical resources (e.g. vehicles, computers); § presently police stations have a total personnel strength of approximately 95000 and it is envisaged that the personnel establishment for police stations will increase by almost 35000 which will then sustained at nearly 130000 – up to 2010; § the necessary authority will be delegated to police managers at local/station level and they will in turn be made accountable for the desired targeted results; § police officials at station/local level will be enabled to respond quickly to changing circumstances and client/community needs; § it is anticipated that police-community trust and relations will improve; § it is also envisaged that interactions, communication and participation between management and operational members will improve; § cost savings (e.g. eradication of duplication of functions and activities); § correct allocation of categories of jobs, and § improved effectiveness and efficiency in terms of the utilization of human- and physical resources. The recently approved structure of the SAPS is specifically designed to eliminate the disadvantages of over-specialization and to incorporate the advantages of decentralization of work and authority, which ought to be performed and exercised at the lowest possible level of the SAPS. Criminal justice system
Strengthening capacity of the justice system to protect the rights of children
The fight against sexual offences in general, with particular emphasis on its impact on children, is a national priority. In its endeavours to strengthen the capacity of the justice system to protect the rights of children, the DoJ&CD has taken a number of important steps, including:
The Office of the Family Advocate has for the past years assisted with reports to the court in litigation relating to children in divorce actions or applications for the variation of existing divorce orders. The functions of the Family Advocate have been extended to include maintenance and domestic violence through the Judicial Matters Second Amendment Act, 2005. Numerous related matters have been investigated by this Office and brought to fruition, resulting in the increased protection of the rights of children.
December 2005 saw the launch of Operation Isondlo – a maintenance awareness campaign within the DoJ&CD. The Operation has been launched in various provinces, and substantial success has been achieved in the tracing of maintenance defaulters and payment of maintenance monies in arrears. Numerous children have benefited from this initiative, which will run throughout the rest of 2006.
Legislation The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill and the Child Justice Bill are serving before Parliament. It is crucial that the Bills be finalized to furthermore strengthen the capacity of the justice system in protecting the rights of children.
Police Reservist System SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1A National Joint Task Team (NJTT) - co-chaired by the SAPS and SANDF - visited the provinces to assist with the implementation of the Commandos/Reservists Exit/Entry Strategy Implementation Plans, and to identify potential gaps regarding the phasing out of the commandos. SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Modular outcomes-based training programmes have been completed to enhance the skills and knowledge of all reservists. SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1A Budget of R 260 million has been approved to call up reservists for duty for which they will be paid, based on the identified operational needs of the SAPS. The following number of reservists could be called up over the reflected periods: 2006/ 2007 - R 60 million to call up 8 000 reservists 2007/ 2008 - R 80 million to call up 15 000 reservists 2008/ 2009 - R 120 million to call up 25 000 reservists
Enhance the capacity of the National Immigration Service: Since the launch of the National Immigration Branch (NIB) last year, the Department of Home Affairs embarked on a massive drive to recruit and train the necessary skills in the area of Immigration to ensure successful implementation of the Immigration Regulations.
The Minister recently announced the deployment of 40 immigration officials at Cape Town and Johannesburg International Airports respectively. In addition, 83 Refugee status determination officers appointed to speed up asylum and refugee applications processes. The Department has appointed 9 Provincial Managers at Chief Director level at Home Affairs provincial offices. This will go a long way towards making sure that we do indeed, turn the tide of service delivery. JCPS Transformation and Modernisation Projects Implementation of the Home Affairs National Identification System (HANIS) and the Automated Finger print Identification System (AFIS): In an effort to improve security and ensure better service delivery through technology, the Department of Home Affairs embarked on a project to digitise (transfer from manual to electronic) fingerprints of millions of citizens. The project is part of Home Affairs National Identification System (HANIS) Since the project commenced a few years back 20.6 million (i.e. 69%) fingerprints have been digitised.
In addition to the transfer to documents to electronic a Disaster Recovery System for HANIS is being implemented to address the risk management element of the project. The recovery system deals with the following:
- Fire prevention system - Data cabling - Security room equipment
The disaster site was handed over to the department in April.
Jali Commission of Enquiry
The White Paper on Corrections places emphasis on the role of families and communities as primary and secondary intervention sites respectively in the rehabilitation and social integration of offenders. Our national strategies seek to rebuild these institutions and improve their role in rebuilding our social fibre in order to limit the inflow into the increasingly efficient criminal justice system. A long term solution to overcrowding lies there.
It is against this backdrop, the department is looking at a number of options that could assist in the reduction of overcrowding in correctional centres, also being mindful of the fact that this will not be achieved overnight due to the cycle of crime in our country and the huge achievements being made by the department of safety and security in nabbing offenders and the impact of the minimum sentencing meted out by the courts.
The following figures and facts so far provide an overview of the reduction trends as far as population of correctional centres is concerned:
The department is also considering introducing parole conditions for certain category of offenders who display clear conduct of effective rehabilitation. This will however exclude those that have committed serious crimes such as murder, armed robbery, etc. Amongst this category, are the offenders that are currently bed – ridden as a result of serious illnesses who may require intensive medical attention and welfare and support from their families.
The National Council on Correctional Services, a statutory body that was established in terms of the Correctional Services Act, to advise the Minister on policy matters, has been requested to attend to some of the issues that could assist in reducing overcrowding in correctional centres. It is expected to provide a report to the Minister in due course on its recommendations.
4. Upholding National Security 4.1 National Security Strategy and National Security Management System The Minister for Intelligence Services, Ronnie Kasrils (MP), on 29 August 2005 indicated his intention to put in place an integrated approach to reviewing a range of legislative and policy issues arising out of representations made to him by the services as well as recommendations arising from the work of other task teams and discussions with Heads of Services. On 09 September 2005, the Minister appointed the Coordinator for Intelligence, Mr Barry Gilder to lead this process. Following the findings by the Inspector General of Intelligence into the illegal surveillance of a member of the public, the Minister announced on 26 October 2005 his intention to review the legislation, internal regulations and operating procedures governing the Intelligence Services. The objective was to determine whether there are any gaps or ambiguities that needed tightening up. The mandate of the Task Team was then extended to include the review of internal regulations and operational policies. The terms of reference of the Task Team were further extended based on the Inspector General’s recommendation of the need for appropriate superintendence and oversight of the conceptualisation, planning and execution of political intelligence projects. The completion date set for the Task Team was end April 2006. The Minister has since been handed the report and is currently studying its contents. The report will also be presented to the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) and its findings will be made public in due course. Another positive development has been the appointment of Mr Manala Manzini as the new NIA Director General. 4.2 Border Control and Security Border Control and Security Strategy The BCOCC is introducing a comprehensive implementation plan based on the strategy for border control and security in RSA, approved at the Cabinet Lekgotla. The following elements of the plan are already operational: § Linking the organised crime approach to ports of entry. Recent successes re the confiscation of drugs at JIA came as a result of this approach. § Continued implementation of Operation Protect (international terrorism). § Borderline operations: o Land Borderline: All borders of the RSA are being covered by either the SAPS or the SANDF. o Sea Borderline: Targeted operations are being conducted on the Western Cape sea border. o Air Borders: Operations are being conducted at smaller airports and airfields. § Anti-Corruption Projects have been implemented at ports of entry. It is envisaged that the strategy will be coordinated by the National Border Control Centre once finalised. Construction and upgrading of ports of entry: The existing and future ICT requirements in this environment are addressed through identification and prioritization of needs. These requirements are then addressed by a dedicated team of experts who do the procurement and installation. This team also ensures the maintenance of specific standards between the various role-players and the avoidance of duplication. To date, projects to the value of R21 million have been initiated to improve the ICT capacity in the border environment. National Border Control Centre: A national operational centre which will monitor and administer all matters relating to the border environment in the RSA is in the planning stage. This centre will combine the resources of all departments involved in the border environment and will contribute greatly to the access and sharing of individual databases. In addition, the centre will centralize the capabilities of such departments and will enable a coordinated response to any contingencies in this environment. A workstudy has been completed by SAPS as to the requirements of the centre, and this concept will be rolled-out with active participation by other relevant departments. It is envisaged that this centre will eventually operate on a 24-hr basis. Strategic Advisory Committee: A sub-committee has been established under the auspices of NICOC, which will identify strategic threats and opportunities in the border environment, and communicate these to relevant line-function departments represented on the BCOCC. Sustain initiatives directed at addressing the illegal movement of persons and goods: In order to improve the capacity of DHA to exercise control over the movement of persons and the capacity of the SAPS to combat cross border crime, DHA is in the process of taking over Immigration functions at Ports of Entry where the SAPS is currently performing those functions on an agency basis (DHA/SAPS Entry / Exit strategy), as well as certain sea ports where SARS is performing DHA functions. The DHA staff establishment for staffing these posts has been approved. Standardise Operating Procedures and Skills Development: Part of the strategic direction of the BCOCC is to align departments to a standard set of norms and procedures, in order to facilitate a common approach. This will not affect the line-function responsibilities of departments, but will enhance the logical flow processes and avoid duplication of services and will be centralized in an Integrated Border Control Management Model. A sub-committee has initiated work in this regard. The concept of transversal training will also be addressed in order to raise the skills level of personnel deployed in the border environment, thus improving efficiency. Harmonise domestic and international legal instruments and policies relating to the border environment The legal issues surrounding the creation of one stop border posts were given priority in view of the fact that it caused a delay in the upgrading of facilities at certain ports of entry. The findings confirmed the constitutionality of the initial proposal, and that the legal matters are regulated by means of international agreements. Sector specific focus areas: In order to maximize inter-departmental co-operation in the border environment, and to avoid unnecessary duplication, sub-committees have been established to manage the land and Rail, Sea and Air environments. These committees co-ordinate matters of mutual interest, and have led to interventions such as managing the movement of schoolchildren across the Swaziland/RSA borders. Exit and entry strategy for country’s borderline: The handing over of the RSA border line from SANDF to SAPS is continuing as per the approved schedule. In certain areas such as the Lesotho and Botswana border line, intervention operations have been launched. More than 4000 arrests have been made by SAPS members on the land borders over the reporting period. A pilot project to secure areas of the Western Cape sea border line has been launched through the use of sea and land-based patrols. Successes over the reporting period includes more than 60 arrests for various offences In the air environment, intervention operations have been conducted at more than 330 smaller airports and landing strips. More than 550 arrests have been affected. Most of the arrests were carried out in the vicinity of the border since most of the airports and landing strips where operations were carried out are close to the RSA border.
5. Matters outstanding from the TRC The matter of the TRC is ongoing and the National Director of Public Prosecutions continues to receive and act on information relating to the Commission. The NPA is currently conducting an audit of all TRC cases and investigation and prosecution of these cases remains a high priority.
Sixteen (16) cases are being further investigated and interaction with the victims and their families has been established. The NPA is preparing possible charges and conducting research on anticipated defences in these cases. Exhumations and reburials The Missing Persons Task Team is working in partnership with affected non-governmental groups including NGO’s and victim groups to develop a policy format for investigation and exhumations. Further, a partnership has been established with the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team in order to develop human rights focused forensic capacity in South Africa and to share knowledge on international best practices. Another partnership established with the Human Identification Laboratory at the University of the Western Cape has ensured capacity and expertise in DNA testing in respect of exhumed remains. Twenty-three (23) remains have been exhumed, eight of which have been identified. Five of these have been handed over to their families for reburial and a further three are being prepared for hand over to the affected families. The other fifteen cases, including the Mamelodi 10, are undergoing DNA testing and results are awaited. The task team has offered assistance in terms of investigation, research and forensic work to the Namibia authorities in respect of their recently uncovered mass graves.
6. Big Events 6.1 Local Government Elections The Local Government Elections 1 March 2006 was secured by more than 100 000 members from SAPS, SANDF, the Intelligence Community and Metro Police Services. Police action was required in 40 incidents on Election Day ranging from assaults, intimidation, and malicious damage to property, public violence and offences in terms of the Electoral Act. 6.2 Soccer World Cup 2010 Detailed operational planning commenced in January 2006 based on the framework plan which was approved by FIFA. A comprehensive budget for the implementation of the Security Plan, as well as the Security Evaluation of the host stadiums has been completed. Issues currently receiving attention are: - IT security - Anti-ambush strategy - Procurement of equipment including helicopters, command and control, vehicles, mobile police stations and courts.
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