by Caiphas Chimhete This is the second in a jour-part series on crime in South Africa.
The South African Government of National Unity (GNU) increased budget allocation to the police service from R9.413 billion last year to R9.884 billion this year – a rise of 4.5 percent – in an effort to reduce pervasive crime in the country.
“The government is firmly committed to strengthening crime prevention and the administration of justice, particularly in those areas in which violence and fear have come to dominate people’s lives, – said Chris Liebenberg, former Minister of Finance presenting the 1996(1 budget.
To fight crime and boost the low moral in the police force, the South African Police Services (SAPS) announced a three-year plan valued at R3.1 billion which involves, among other things, human resources development and the provision for infrastructure and services to the police force:
The police force has expressed concern about poor salaries and unsafe working conditions and last year were involved in industrial action to press the government for better working conditions.
The Safety and Security Ministry is yet to come up with an effective strategy to combat time. The SAPS is undergoing restructuring and seems as if it cannot concentrate entirely all dealing with all forms of crime. Due to this, some political and civil organisation are coming up with security initiatives, for example, the Metropolitan police services where locals are involved in the security of their communities.
Efforts to curb crime in South Africa have been hindered by alleged corruption and inefficiency which has seen criminals sometimes released from prisons as fast u the court3 put them in. -Hardened criminals are laughing in the face of justice. They mock the police, the courts, the public and prisons by returning to crime as soon as they are released: says Western Cape Attorney-General Frank kahn.
National Police Commissioner, George Fivaz, says the judicial system, in particular the department of justice “playa more important role than the police in the judicial system, and as such the department must be able to cope with the result of the police action — if not it will be a disaster for the country’s judicial process”.
Fivaz confirms that some police officers are involved in murder and crime syndicates. Thirty-three officers have been arrested following the murder of 19 people on Christmas day in KwaZulu/Natal year. He says there is evidence that the police knew about the impending attack in advance and did nothing about it. Police inefficiency can be traced back to the apartheid era.
Many police official, including senior ranking members are on trial for their alleged put criminal activities. Fonner defence minister, Magnus Malan and 19 others are being charged for their alleged involvement in the murder of 13 people in (KwaZulu/Natal in 1987 and other covert operations.
Reports say groups of armed paramilitary, trained for community service, are making policing virtually impossible in some parts of the country. The groups who were trained as part of either Inkatha Freedom Party’s Self Units (SPUs) or African National Congress Self Defence Units (SDU) have in some cases created no-go areas for security forces.
There is also growing mistrust between members of the police force and other security agencies, each accusing the other of bugging. The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has been accused of spying on senior police officers, including Fivaz.
Mandela strongly believes that there are elements in the country still maintaining the evils of apartheid.
He says although ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) are partly to blame for the violence in South Africa, third force elements are of particular concern. “There are elements who are not members of either the ANC or the IFP who are orchestrating violence because it is in their interest to return to the days of apartheid.” says Mandela.
Mandela acknowledges that the present government-has no firm grip on security forces. “We are in office, but to actually gain power is going to take some time because we have to clean the police services,” he says.
Over 30 000 people are held in South Africa’s cells awaiting trial and the judicial system should work hard to clear the backlog, says Henle Bruyn the Commissioner of Correctional Services. Bruyn says there are 113 000 prisoners in the country’s jails.
The Department of Correctional Services in its annual report says that ·it is in extreme circumstances that prisoners would serve their whole sentence in prison •.
Instead of protecting the society from criminals, says Fivaz, ·some members of the police force are involved in criminal activities” contradicting their obligation to protect the nation. Many police officers have been found guilty of either cooperating in criminal activities or being directly involved. Police Reporting Officers (PROs) around the country have this year received more than 2,000 complaints from the public who allege that the officers have either abused their power or been involved in criminal conduct. ‘
The Christmas massacre in (KwaZulu/Natal·province has exposed defects in the province’s criminal justice and policing systems. The people in the province have thus lost faith and confidence in the security institutions.
“People know from bitter experience that even if it is a political or criminal case, it will not be long before they are out on bail – on the streets. This is the experience at community level and it has resulted in a lack of faith in policing and criminal justice system,” says South African sociologist Ari Sitas.
Analysts say for South Africa to stabilize, the GNU should have a firm stance on criminal offenders and pass deterrent sentences. However, say analysts, community involvement is also of vital importance to ensure violence and crime are brought to an end. (SARDC)
