Untitled - Saps

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1995 - 2005 TEN YEAR
POLICING IN A

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REVIEW OF
DEMOCRACY

1994/1995
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
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• The previous 11 police agencies (the SAP and 10 former homeland agencies) and Non-
Statutory Forces entered a process of amalgamation and rationalization to create a single
police service, the SAPS, which functions at national and provincial levels. Policing in
South Africa was traditionally dominated by various laws that were undemocratic and
that were rejected by the majority of people in the country. However, transformation
by means of community policing that would see a shift from a police force to a police
service was in progress to establish an active partnership between the police and the
community.
• Mr Sydney Mufamadi was appointed Minister for Safety and Security. Mr Joe Matthews
was appointed Deputy Minister for Safety and Security. Mr Azhar Cachalia was
appointed Director-General for the Secretariat for Safety and Security.
• The managerial style of the new SAPS began a process of transformation, moving from
an autocratic, bureaucratic and militaristic style of command to a managerial style
characterized by participation and problem-solving. This transformation entailed respect
for, and sensitivity towards, the fundamental rights of all members of the community
- including all members of the new SAPS.
• As part of the government’s war on crime, a seven-point plan was announced
in 1995 to improve the effectiveness of policing. The plan involved redeploying
resources - both human and material; improving visible policing; arresting most-wanted
suspects; supplying police stations in all the flashpoint areas with the necessary logistics to
increase their effectiveness; restructuring border-control functions; utilizing technology
such as helicopter video units in flashpoint areas; and setting tougher bail conditions for
serious crimes.
• A new basic training project for SAPS members, geared toward producing constables
equipped for community policing, was launched.
• The SAPS divisions included the following:
Division Community Relations: The division had a consultative function and liaised
internally with fellow police divisions and externally with communities to find solutions
to problems and to formulate policies, priorities and strategies. The division mobilized
all resources available to a community to resolve problems of disorder and to promote
safety and security.
Division Crime Combating and Investigation: The division consisted of the following units
and bureaus:
- A National Bureau for Missing Persons (established in October 1994), which worked
closely with Crime Stop, a programme launched in 1993. (The programme has
recovered stolen property and narcotics worth more than R1 billion since 1994.)
- The Commercial Crime Unit, formerly known as the Commercial Branch, had
its headquarters in Johannesburg. There were several Commercial Crime units
throughout South Africa.
- The Forensic Science Laboratory, which consisted of the Analytical Chemistry,
Biology, Ballistics, Disputed Documents and Electronics Units.
- The Diamond and Gold Branch which was charged with combating illicit dealing
in, and possession of rough or uncut diamonds, semiprecious stones, tiger’s-eye and
unwrought precious metal such as gold, silver and platinum.
- The South African Narcotics Bureau, which combated drug-related crime on an
organized and specialized basis throughout the country.
- The Murder and Robbery units, which were stationed in Pretoria, Benoni, Soweto,
Johannesburg, Krugersdorp, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.
- The Robbery Reaction Unit, which was formed to combat a wave of street robberies,
handbag snatching and pick pocketing in central Johannesburg.

Left to right: Minister Sydney Mufamadi, Former Deputy Minister Joe Matthews,
Former National Police Commissioner George Fivaz, Former Secretariat Azhar Cachalia
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- The Inspectorate for Explosives, which exercised control over the manufacture,
import, export, use and storage of explosives.
Division Visible Policing: The division was established primarily to carry out crime
prevention duties. It consisted of the following units:
- The Special Guard Unit, which guarded various ministerial residential areas and
office complexes, the President, SAPS Headquarters in Pretoria, as well as ministers,
deputy ministers and other important people while they were travelling.
- The Special Task Force, which specialized in dealing with hostage and similar
situations.
- The Air Wing (established in 1985).
- The WaCling, which had a coastal branch and an inland branch.
- The Diving units whose divers traced exhibits in criminal cases, searched for drowned
persons and rescued people in distress.
Division Internal Stability: The division was mainly responsible for combating violence in
South Africa, primarily by means of preventive actions such as patrols in areas where
unrest, intimidation and other unrest-related offences occurred.
The Air Wing continues to play an important role

1995
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
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• On 29 January 1995, President Nelson Mandela, appointed the first National
Commissioner of the new South African Police Service, George Fivaz. He was assisted
by four deputy commissioners, namely National Deputy Commissioners Morgan
Chetty, Zolisa Lavisa, Mike Bester and John Manuel. In February 1995, the complete
demilitarization of the police service was proposed. Other proposals included the
abolition of military titles held by officers.
• A ten-point community policing programme was launched in February 1995, the first of
two stages of transforming the SAPS. The programme included the following:
- Establishing station management forums to channel grievances.
- Appointing shop stewards and complaints officers at district level.
- Rotating schedules to prevent black police members from being assigned
inferior jobs.
- Redistributing resources between over-resourced and under-resourced stations.
- Speeding up the incorporation of police assistants into the SAPS.
- Improving the working environment of SAPS employees.
- Implementing effective labour relations.
• The SAPS Representivity and Equal Opportunities Programme (REOP), which formed
the cornerstone of the SAPS transformation process, was launched at the end of
May 1995.
• A new rank structure for the SAPS was introduced on 1 December 1995. The new system
heralded a visible and concrete break with the militaristic police culture of the past.
• The new emblem of the SAPS was unveiled. Still based on a star design, the new emblem
had as its centerpiece the aloe plant which symbolizes resilience and steadfastness.
• New uniforms and insignia for the various ranks were phased in. The new uniform
included a darker cap and a new name badge. Castle symbols denoting rank on epaulets
were replaced by a hexagon showing the aloe plant.
• Divisions that were established in addition to existing ones included the following:
Division National Standards and Management Services: The division focused on providing
management services in line with the constitutional and legislative functions of the SAPS,
and determining and evaluating national standards in the delivery of policing services.
The division consisted of three components, namely National Policy and Strategy,
which formulated and implemented national operational policy and strategies; National
Corporate Development, which interpreted and developed organizational policy
into effective policing structures, management systems and procedures; and National
Service Evaluation, which monitored and evaluated the services rendered by the SAPS
in fulfilling its operational policies and strategies. The division followed a constructive,
problem-solving approach, liaising internally with other SAPS divisions and externally
with relevant communities and interested stakeholders. This approach assisted the SAPS
in obtaining valuable input from crime-affected communities and in ensuring that the
specific needs, fears and priorities of individual communities were addressed in the
crime-combating activities of the SAPS. The Community Safety Plan was announced by
former President Nelson Mandela in 1995, after being approved by all participants in the
Government of National Unity.
Division National Crime Investigation Services (NCIS): As every other division in the SAPS, the
NCIS was also taking a new approach. In the past, the majority of the investigation units
had followed a reactive approach to crime and solutions to crime. The division adopted a
more preventive, proactive methodology and structure. In this way, crime was addressed
by means of the effective utilization of information and the application of expert
methods of investigation. Six components were assigned to the division, namely the
Commercial Crime component, the National Priority Crimes component, the Organized

The new emblem of the SAPS was unveiled. Still based on a star design,
the emblem had as its centrepiece the aloe plant which symbolizes
resilience and steadfastness.
RANK
RANK
INSIGNIA
FORM OF
ADDRESS
RANK
RANK
INSIGNIA
FORM OF
ADDRESS
Crime component, the Criminal Information Management Centre, Internal Security
and Investigation Support Services. The Criminal Record Centre, the Forensic Science
Laboratory and Technical Support Services fell under Investigation Support Services.
National Commissioner
Commissioner
Director
Director
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Division National Safety Services: The four different functions set out to be performed by
the division were organized into four components, namely Border Control and Policing,
Public Order Policing, National Protection Service and National Emergency Services.
Deputy National Commissioner
Divisional/Provincial Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
• To improve internal communication and support transformational objectives, the SAPS
became the first government department to launch an internal television network to
some 300 police stations, known as POL TV.
Assistant Commissioner
Commissioner
Senior Superintendent Superintendent Superintendent
Superintendent
Chaplain
Form of address subject to
the denomination/religion
of the incumbent
Captain
Captain
Inspector
Inspector
Sergeant
Sergeant
Constable
Constable

1996
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
• The final phase in the restructuring of the SAPS was completed in March 1996 with the
appointment of 746 persons to the levels of director and senior superintendent.
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• In April 1996, Cabinet set up an interdepartmental committee of directors-general
to drive anti-crime efforts and to oversee the implementation of the National Crime
Prevention Strategy (NCPS). The Crime Prevention Committee was made up of the
most senior officials in the Safety and Security and Defence Secretariats, the SAPS, the
SANDF, the National Intelligence Agency, the SA Secret Service, the Department of
Justice and the Department of Correctional Services.
• Six South African universities joined in the fight against crime by making their facilities
available for the training of station commissioners at 132 police stations.
• On 24 April 1996, it was announced that about R240 million had been set aside to
upgrade 65 police stations throughout the country.
An observation post between the RSA and Lesotho. SAPS members use
these posts to watch out for possible smuggling routes and stolen cattle
• The newly formed Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization
(SARPCCO) held a meeting in Midrand in February 1996. Representatives from
Angola, Tanzania, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho, South Africa,
Zimbabwe, Malawi and Swaziland attended the meeting. Among the resolutions adopted
were to improve communication and technology; to standardize vehicle clearance
certificates in order to combat cross-border vehicle theft; to establish a central database;
to improve border control; and to address corruption and undertake joint operations in
identified flashpoint areas.
• The National Commissioner’s Annual Police Plan, required in terms of legislation passed
in 1995, was presented to Cabinet the first time at the end of April 1996. It detailed
SAPS crime-combating strategies and was the first real attempt at prioritizing the use of
existing police resources. Priority crimes dealt with in the plan included murder, domestic
and sexual violence, stock theft, housebreaking, witchcraft, gang-related offences,
hijacking, taxi violence, corruption, narcotics-related crime, serious economic offences
and politically motivated massacres.
• In May 1996, it was announced that South Africa’s intelligence agencies would, in future,
consult the SAPS on the gathering of crime-related information. The signatories to this
agreement were the SAPS, the National Intelligence Agency, the SA Secret Service and
the SANDF.
• In June 1996, a “sword and shield” policing plan was launched. Primary objectives of
the plan included reducing hijackings, violent crime, the illegal possession of firearms,
organized crime and police corruption.

• Various safety networks were implemented, including an international safety network
involving Interpol to fight international crimes such as fraud, counterfeit currency, gun
smuggling and narcotics-related crime; a southern African safety network involving the
police services of South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana,
Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Swaziland; and a border safety network in
South Africa aimed at preventing cross-border criminal activity.
• In an attempt to combat vehicle crime, the SAPS and the Tracker Network launched
a nationwide vehicle recovery system in Johannesburg on 1 October 1996. The system
consisted of a small transponder hidden in a vehicle and a police tracking unit fitted into
SAPS patrol cars, aircraft and strategic locations such as the 48 border posts and ports.
The entire network was set up at no cost to the SAPS.
• On 14 November 1996, the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the SAPS
launched an anti-narcotics project to stem drug trafficking from other African countries
into South Africa. Under the project, trained narcotics dogs would be sent to central and
eastern African countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana and Zambia.
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• A new police unit aimed at curbing the smuggling trade was deployed in South
Africa on 18 November 1996. The unit, known as the Border Unit, was deployed at
the international airports of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg and at border
posts and ports.
• The Swedish Government, through its international Development Agency, donated
R1,5 million towards the training of SAPS members in human rights. The project
formed part of an information programme for SAPS legal adviSgt and trainers from
the nine provinces who formed an integral part of the service’s human resources
development plan.
Some R240 million was set aside to upgrade 65 police stations in 1996
• Various initiatives against crime were launched in the course of 1996. Business Against
Crime was launched in certain provinces under the umbrella of Business South Africa.
Business Against Crime funded an e-mail facility linking the police chiefs of 22 southern
African countries.
• In November 1996, the SAPS introduced a new credit-card-size identity card for its
members. The new card was easier to carry than the old identity cards, more difficult to
forge and bore the new police logo. New uniforms were also phased in.
A small transponder installed in a SAPS vehicle to help combat vehicle crime

1997
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
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• In order to extend the National Crime Prevention Strategy to needs-driven provincial
and local initiatives, nine provincial crime summits were held in 1997. These summits
led to the adoption of a number of primary crime-prevention programmes. At the
beginning of 1997, the NCPS Committee of Ministers identified a number of projects
to be carried out by the participating departments. The largest of the projects was the
Integrated Justice System (IJS). The aim of the project was to streamline the judicial
process and to support it with the Information Management System so that offenders
could be effectively managed and tracked through the entire criminal justice system.
• Furthermore, several interdisciplinary and intersectorial task team projects were
launched regarding firearm control, border control, vehicle crime, violence and crimes
against women and children, including domestic violence, corruption in the criminal
justice system and escapes from custody.
• In April 1997, the then President, Nelson Mandela, announced that the government
had launched a series of high-density crime-prevention operations to fight crime. The
operations involved the SAPS, the SANDF and the intelligence services. The primary
objective of the operations was to crack down on illegal firearms and organized crime.
• In May 1997, more than 1 500 stolen South African vehicles were recovered in an anticrime
operation spanning four southern African countries. Operation V4 involved police
members from South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Zambia and was sponsored
by the Kingdom of Belgium.
• In May 1997, the moratorium on police recruitment, imposed by the government in
1994, was lifted. It was also announced that an extra 5 250 police officials and civilian
employees would be appointed in line with the new approach to recruitment.
• A team of senior British police officers arrived in South Africa at the end of June. They
worked closely with the Department of Safety and Security and the SAPS to review
existing systems of management, training, evaluation and monitoring. At the end of July
1997, a task team appointed by the Minister proposed that the government consider
decentralizing certain police functions to the provinces.
• In June 1997, the Minister for Safety and Security revealed that the SAPS was involved in
major anti-crime operations in cooperation with the Mozambican police. The operations
were aimed at stemming the tide of illegal firearms entering the country, as well as crossborder
vehicle theft. Earlier in the year, a joint operation by the two countries had led to
the destruction of a big arms cache near Xai-Xai in Mozambique. In July and August,
thousands of weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition were located and destroyed
during a joint operation between the South African and Mozambican police.
• At the end of October 1997, the newly adopted Code of Conduct, which had been
extended to all members to create a safe and secure environment for all South Africans
in a democratic framework, was signed for the first time.
• The 1997/1998 Annual Police Plan identified five policing priorities and six organizational
focus areas to improve service delivery and the utilization of resources to combat and
prevent crime more effectively. The focus areas were the quality of investigative services,
victim empowerment, budget and resource management, performance appraisal and
service monitoring, affirmative training and communication. The policing priorities were
firearms, criminal organizations, crimes against women and children, corruption in the
criminal justice system and crime prevention.
• In August 1997, the United States government sent representatives of four federal law
enforcement agencies to South Africa to cooperate in the fight against international
crime syndicates and to assist with local training programmes. The agents concerned
were attached to the US embassy in Pretoria and represented the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the US Customs Service and
the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
• In October 1997, the Rural Protection Plan (RPP), aimed at protecting farmers, was
launched. The RPP involved the National Defence Force, police Rests, special police
units and the intelligence services.
• In order to streamline a number of projects in the SAPS, management decided to
amalgamate all service delivery projects into the Service Delivery and Improvement
Programme (SDIP). The main aim of SDIP was to create pockets of excellence in

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Team work and the taste of success… the SAPS in Mozambique
geographical and functional areas in several parts of the country, including metropolitan
and rural police stations and specialist units.
• In November 1997, history was made when the converted SAPS Star of Outstanding
Service was presented to a woman for the first time. Assistant Commissioner Magda
Stander, Head: Personnel Services, received the medal along with 70 police commissioners
at a parade that was held at the SAPS Training College in Pretoria.
• In June 1997, a management training programme was presented and sponsored by the
Wits Graduate School of Public and Development Management in cooperation with
the Danish government. As part of the programme, an extensive course on managerial
techniques was presented to police officials from across the country.
• In October 1997, South Africa’s first Detective Academy was opened in Silverton,
Pretoria. The academy offered training for 90 students and the first intake included two
participants each from the police agencies of Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia
and Zimbabwe.

1998
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
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• In March 1998, the first 18, locally-trained polygraph system operators - nine police
officials and nine SANDF members - graduated from the Detective Academy in
Silverton, Pretoria. The course, presented by the US Argenbright International Institute
of Polygraphy, was the first of its kind to be presented locally.
• Project Johannesburg was launched in April 1998 to develop a new style of policing that
was less bureaucratic, more cost-effective and community friendly, with an enhanced
capacity to fight crime. Encompassing 20 police stations in the Johannesburg police area,
between R30 and R35 million was allocated to the project out of the SAPS budget.
• In April 1998, a plan to reconstruct the SAPS was presented to Parliament’s Safety and
Security Portfolio Committee. The plan included -
- delivering professional “customer service” by improving the public image of the
police, as well as improving the discipline, morale and investigative techniques of the
police;
- recruiting civilian employees and permanent members to alleviate the heavy
caseload of police officials; and
- establishing crime information centres to form a ground-level database and creating
crime-prevention and reaction units.
• In June 1998, it was announced that the SAPS would take in new recruits over the
following five years. A total of 1 200 recruits were enlisted in the SAPS in a rolling intake
process during which 300 recruits were enlisted at a time.
• More than 2 000 stolen vehicles, worth R9 million, were seized during a cross-border
operation involving police officials from South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho and Mauritius
in June 1998.
• Owing to ongoing violence in the Richmond area in KwaZulu-Natal, an operation
called PAX II was launched in July 1998. It was a joint operation between the SAPS
and the SANDF, which improved stability in the region.
• In August 1998, three members of the FBI and a member of the Department of Justice
attended one-day workshops where detectives taught them techniques of neutralizing
criminal enterprises. Five top forensic scientists of the FBI Forensic Science Laboratory’s
Trace Evidence Unit in Washington presented a two-week training course at the National
Forensic Science Laboratory in Pretoria. The course was the first presented by the
FBI in Africa.
• In September 1998, the Detective Academy officially launched the first Generic Serious
and Violent Crime pilot training programme. Thirty-one provincial heads of Serious
and Violent Crime units, as well as managers from different specialized police units,
attended the course. Training focused on the fields of murder and robbery, vehicle
hijacking, taxi and gang violence, serial killings and illegal firearms. Subjects such as
major case management, sophisticated investigative techniques and partnerships with the
community were also dealt with.
• In September 1998, the SAPS launched a R40-million project aimed at dealing with
the escalating incidence of suicide and violence in the service. The project, known as
the National Suicide Prevention Project, concentrated on researching, managing and
preventing further losses of human lives.
• A manual entitled Human Rights and Policing introduced police officials to the Constitution
and to the principles underlying human rights. Management and leadership development
programmes in the service included the Learning Intervention of Supervisors through
the Operational Management Programme for Officers, the Station Management
Programme (presented by the Joint Universities Public Management Education Trust
with funding from the South African Management Development Institute), the Middle
Management Programme and the Leadership Development Programme.
• The Emerging Leadership Programme (ELP) was presented by the Kagiso Leadership
School and was funded by the European Union.

In June 1998, it was announced that the SAPS would take in new
recruits over the following five years. A total of 1 200 recruits were
enlisted in the SAPS in a rolling intake process during which 300
recruits were enlisted at a time.
• A management capacity-building programme, allowing learners to prepare for formal
management development programmes, was tested in one province. The Swedish
government funded the programme.
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• In September 1998, the government announced the establishment of a unit to crack
down on gangs in the Western Cape. The unit consisted of 30 top prosecutors, police
investigators, lawyers, tax collectors and chartered accountants.
• In 1998, the SAPS initiated for the first time in its history its own public perception,
attitude and needs survey. The results of the survey indicated that the public saw
the SAPS as the government department responsible for creating a safe and secure
environment and that the public was quite willing to cooperate with the police.
A SAPS parade … epitomizing ‘to serve and protect’
• In December 1998, the SAPS realigned itself with relevant government strategies and
policies and restructured into 10 divisions, namely:
- Detective Service
- Crime Intelligence
- Operational Response Services
- Crime Prevention
- Personnel Services
- Career Management
- Logistics
- Financial and Administration Service
- Management Services
- Training

1999
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
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the crime intelligence component, was appointed Divisional Commissioner of Crime
Intelligence. Commissioner Mafemane Makhubela, Area Commissioner in the Far
North Area of the Northern Province, was appointed Divisional Commissioner of Crime
Prevention. Northern Province Deputy Commissioner Johannes Ferreira was appointed
Divisional Commissioner of Training. Mpumalanga Lowveld Area Commissioner
Moranodi Joseph Gaobepe was appointed Free State Provincial Commissioner.
• Police members at Parkview Police Station were offered a course in basic sign language
in order to be able to communicate with the deaf. This followed the designing of a
programme aimed at helping the deaf report crimes to police stations.
• Tracker Network SA donated 250 police tracking computers, valued at R2, 3 million to
the SAPS. The computers added to the existing systems already operational, bringing the
total to 1 180 tracking computers. They were fitted at border posts, at the Air Wing and
many ground units such as the Highway Patrol, Flying Squad and Dog Units.
The late Minister for Safety
and Security Steve Tshwete
• Mr Steve Tshwete succeeded Mr Sydney Mufamadi as Minister for Safety and Security.
• In October 1999, the restructuring of the SAPS received a boost with the appointment
of several new commissioners aimed at making police management more representative.
It also approved the appointment of six new divisional police commissioners.
• It was announced in October 1999 that Foreign Affairs Director-General Jackie Selebi
was to be appointed the new National Police Commissioner.
• Two women were, for the first time in history, among the seven officials appointed to
senior positions. Commissioner Magda Stander was appointed Divisional Commissioner
of Personnel Services and Dr Mala Singh the Divisional Commissioner of Career
Management. Commissioner Tim Williams, a former member of the Interim Advisory
team of the Minister for Safety and Security, and, prior to his appointment, head of
• Phumelela Gaming and Leisure Company, which runs horse-racing in Gauteng, agreed
to sponsor the SAPS with equipment worth R7-million over the next five years to assist
in putting more equestrian police on the streets.
• More than 400 police detectives were trained in techniques to trace cellphones.
• SAPS hosted the first ever games of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation
Organization (SARPCCO). The aim of the games was to create a betClorking
relationship among police members. Teams from Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland,
Zimbabwe and South Africa participated in the event.
• In 1999, the Arms and Ammunition Amendment Act, 1999 (Act 15 of 1999), which
restricts the owners of licensed firearms to lending their weapons only to licensed firearm
owners, was approved. The Minister for Safety and Security presented the Draft Policy on
the Control of Firearms in South Africa to Cabinet in September 1999. The document
recommended that the powers of the police be increased to search vehicles and buildings
and to seize ammunition and guns. It proposed the creation of new offences, for instance
the possession of a gun while under the influence. It also recommended much harsher

sentences for illegal possession and other offences. In November 1999, the Firearms
Control Bill was published for public information.
• In September 1999, bilateral extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties were signed
between South Africa and the US in Washington that would expand co-operation
between the two countries in dealing with crime and narcotics. Under the treaties, the
two countries agreed to extradite persons charged with or convicted of an extraditable
offence. A condition is that it should be punishable under the laws of both states by a jail
sentence of at least one year.
• The National Commissioner’s Annual Police Plan was submitted to Cabinet. The
policing operational priorities for 1999/00 were to -
- curb violent crimes committed with firearms by increasing the clearance rate on
firearms and improving firearms and ammunition control;
- decrease the number of criminal organizations by improving intelligence and
improving the measures aimed at curbing their activities;
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- improve the quality of service to women and children as victims of crime by enforcing
the Domestic Violence Act, 1998 and improving multidisciplinary co-operation to
combat crimes against women and children;
- decrease corruption within the SAPS by increasing detection and limiting
opportunities;
- increase targeted crime prevention through increased visible policing, developing
sector policing, gathering proactive crime intelligence and improving crime analysis
abilities and service delivery improvement programmes; and
- improve criminal investigation by increasing the number of detectives, their
competencies and utilization.
• The SAPS identified all crimes against women and children as one of its five operational
priorities for 1999/2000. Specific measures aimed at better rape investigation included
the training of SAPS members in sexual offences investigation techniques and the
establishment of units dealing with family violence, child protection and sexual
offences.
• The national crime operation code-named Monozite was launched in July 1999. The
main aim of the operation, which was extended to the end of March 2000, was to clamp
down on crime in crime-related flash-point areas throughout the country by means
of high-density intelligence-driven operations. The objective of the operation was to
stabilize the affected areas and to ensure a greater feeling of safety and security amongst
the communities.
Dog Services and the Mounted Unit play a vital role in policing

2000
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
36
• The first official SAPS mentorship programme was launched at the Detective Academy
in Silverton.
• A comprehensive programme was launched to train all police members in the values
and principles of community policing. This policing style is based on the premise that a
community and its police service are equal partners and have a shared responsibility in
ensuring safety and security. Sector policing was also identified as a focus area. In 2000,
a pilot project was launched in the Johannesburg area to develop sector policing as a
practical manifestation of community policing. At least one sector was established in each
ward of Johannesburg’s police stations.
• The Practical Guide to Partnership Policing was drawn up to evaluate successful
partnerships at police stations and to implement projects at police stations according to
their needs. The first edition was published and was to be updated every three months
with new partnership policing initiatives.
• In 2000/2001, the introduction of the Crime Prevention Development Programme
made it possible to develop a technical support programme for local crime prevention.
A network of agencies was established in government and civil society. A number of
workshops were presented for local governments, civil society, youth organizations and
community-based organizations regarding crime pattern analysis for the development of
local crime prevention plans.
• A comprehensive, integrated process was introduced to develop a local crime prevention
plan for the areas of KwaMashu and Inanda in KwaZulu-Natal and to implement local
crime prevention initiatives in 2000/2001 valued at R1 million.
• The partnership that was established in 2000 between the Departments of Education
and Safety and Security regarding school safety led to the development of a school
safety workbook that was launched in June 2001. The workbook was intended for use
by educators and school governing bodies and as part of school-based SAPS projects to
increase young people’s resistance to crime and violence.
• Three basic courses in hostage and suicide negotiation were presented in 2000. The US
Embassy assisted the SAPS in presenting a hostage negotiation course in New Mexico.
Twenty-three hostage negotiators attended the course.
• The SAPS Hostage Negotiation Team responded to a number of hostage and suicide
incidents in South Africa. The team dealt with 1 480 incidents in the course of 2000.
Most of the incidents were suicide related.
• A unit was established in the Labour Relations component of the Division: Personnel
Services to monitor alleged incidents of racism and discrimination in the SAPS.
• Until 2000, the strategies on transformation and on crime prevention were planned
separately. The National Commissioner, Jackie Selebi, then implemented the first ever
Strategic Focus for the SAPS, subsequently integrating all SAPS strategies. The 2000-
2003 Strategic Focus also supported government policy and was based on the crime
intelligence estimate and crime pattern analysis. A geographical approach and an
organized crime combating strategy were developed. Multidisciplinary crime-combating
teams were established to deal with serious and violent crime and organized crime in
identified areas.
• Crime-combating task groups (part of Operation Crackdown) were established in March
2000 to focus on serious and violent crime in 76 identified high-crime zones. The task
groups conducted intelligence-driven operations according to the specific crime threat
analysis of each zone. These operations were in addition to the usual policing activities in
the specific areas. The other leg of Operation Crackdown involved the organized crime
approach in terms of which organized crime syndicates were investigated in intelligencedriven
operations carried out by task teams under the command of experienced
detectives.
• The Firearm Strategy was introduced to combat the proliferation of firearms and the
Domestic Violence Act, 1998 was implemented to combat crimes against women and
children. The SAPS was also involved in various social crime prevention initiatives in

cooperation with the Social Cluster departments to address the underlying causes of
crime and the factors that exacerbate violent crime.
• History was made when the first pilot programme in crime prevention, which was
designed and developed from a needs analysis conducted by the Crime Prevention
Guardian Committee, was presented to police members ranging from the rank of
constable to inspector in Gauteng. This learning programme consisted of five study units
and was aimed at cultivating a proactive approach to policing among SAPS members.
• The SAPS ensured that the World Economic Forum, Aids conference, Heads of Missions
Conference and SADC Council of Ministers Conference were incident free. The SAPS
was able to secure safe provincial and local government elections where voters could
exercise their right to vote for the political party of their choice.
• The SAPS successfully participated in disaster operations conducted during the
Mozambique floods, as well as operations to prevent the spread of cholera and foot-andmouth
disease in KwaZulu-Natal.
37
• Cross-border operations and assistance to neighbouring countries proved to be of
enormous value in preventing the spillover of crime into South African territory.
Operations that were conducted in Mozambique resulted in the recovery and destruction
of a significant number of arms and ammunition.
• The Industrial Development Corporation, Sage SA and the SAPS signed an agreement
on 28 September 2000 to implement an Automated Fingerprint Identification System
(AFIS).
• Sweden donated R16 million to improve service delivery in the SAPS. The money was
used to improve police management skills.
• It was announced that the SAPS Equestrian Unit and the SAPS Dog Unit would merge.
Police dogs managed to detect and recover 151 316 kg of narcotics.
• The SAPS again provided forensic expertise to its neighbouring countries. For the first
time in eight years, police members from six African countries received instruction in
forensic science at the Forensic Science Laboratory in Silverton.
• The Detective Academy in Pretoria launched its first empowerment programme for
female detectives.
• The Detective Academy presented narcotics detection and related courses to five
countries in the SA Developing Community.
A comprehensive programme was launched to train all police members
in the values and principles of community policing. This policing style
is based on the premise that a community and its police service are
equal partners and have a shared responsibility in ensuring safety
and security.
• Italy, in conjunction with the UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention,
donated state-of-the-art contraband-detection equipment worth R1,1 million to the
SAPS for deployment at South Africa’s borders with Swaziland and Mozambique. The
three portable narcotics-detection systems, seven infrared scoops and three fibre scoops
would be used to target trafficking in drugs, firearms and hijacked and stolen vehicles.

2001
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
38
• To stem the tide of brutal slayings of police officials, the SAPS established a Police Safety
Directorate in April 2001. The aim of the directorate was to develop measures to prevent
attacks on police officials.
• The SAPS developed and implemented a strategy to improve the reliability of crime
statistics. Various initiatives in this regard were implemented and police members
throughout the country were trained in using the computerized Crime Analysis System.
The SAPS trained some 3 000 members to classify crime and to capture data correctly.
• A hi-tech, mobile X-ray unit to help in the fight against crime was introduced in North
Rand. The SAPS identified a need for a machine that could enhance their crimedetection
capabilities. Hi-tech computers and other systems were consequently installed
in a marked vehicle that could be deployed anywhere. This technology greatly speeds up
police searches of, for instance, containers of any kind without having to break seals.
• In May 2001, a multinational police task team destroyed 108 hectares of cannabis in
Swaziland.
• The Rapid Deployment Stability Force was established late in 2001 for deployment
in all provinces. This force was deployed in support of local police in flashpoint areas
in instances where normal policing was not adequate to deal with incidents of public
disorder, serious and violent crimes and disaster management. The SANDF and 43
SAPS intervention units supported the Rapid Deployment Stability Force.
• Air-supported reaction forces were first established in Gauteng and were later extended
to the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. These units acted as quickresponse
units to incidents of serious and violent crime such as bank robberies, vehicle
hijackings and farm attacks. Air support could also be used for aerial surveillance.
• A satellite tracking system was installed in all SAPS aircraft to enhance their capacity to
deal with the theft and hijacking of vehicles.
• Two additional helicopters were purchased at a cost of R25 million to strengthen the airsupport
capacity of the SAPS. Two more helicopters were ordered.
• The then Minister for Safety and Security, Mr Steve Tshwete, in cooperation with
National Police Commissioner, Jackie Selebi, launched a national campaign in
Katlehong, Gauteng on 2 April 2001, encouraging members of the public to reject and
report stolen goods.
• The Saambou Bank Community Policing Competition gave recognition and rewards
to police stations and police units whose progress was commendable. The primary
aim of the competition, since its inception, was to contribute to the institutionalization
of community policing. The 2000/2001 competition focused on the assessment of
endeavours aimed at improving quality of service, police-community relations and
projects aimed at enhancing the safety and security of communities.
• The SAPS received a grant of R3 million from France to speed up future operations. A
part of the money was earmarked for the computerization of SAPS criminal records.
• Specialized units in Gauteng were restructured in order to ensure organized, integrated
functioning. Specialized detective units were also phased out to strengthen detective
services at police stations.
• Canine police members Orca and Prins left with their handlers for Gujarat, India, where
as many as 100 000 people were believed to have died as a result of an earthquake, to
participate in the rescue operations.
• The SAPS launched a new Crime Stop share-call line (086 000 10111). The SAPS,
through Crime Stop, involved the community in the active fight against crime without
subjecting them to the dangers of apprehending criminals or suspects.
• The Captain Crime Stop campaign targeted nursery school children between the ages of

three and six years and primary school children from grades one to seven. Captain Crime
Stop educated children about personal safety and child abuse.
• On 26 June 2001, the SAPS became the first police service in Africa to launch a missing
children’s website. By June 2001, 800 cases of missing children had been reported. The
SAPS had established the National Bureau for Missing Persons on 3 October 1994.
• In June, Bafana-Bafana captain Lucas Radebe, rugby captain Francois Pienaar and the
national cricket squad launched a major anti-crime project. These sports celebrities,
along with other celebrities, started the Renaissance Supercop project, a Section 21
company set up to wage war against crime. National Commissioner Jackie Selebi and
provincial commissioners welcomed the project.
The Stolen Goods campaign was launched
• Various successes were achieved following the implementation of the SAPS Crime
Combating Strategy. By September 2001, an analysis of reported crime trends clearly
indicated that, within 18 months (from 1 April 2000 to 30 September 2001), at least 17
of the 20 prioritized crime trends had stabilized.
39
• In November 2001, the SAPS announced a plan to institute sector policing in 145 focal
points. These focal points were to be divided into several smaller areas. One of the aims
of sector policing is to improve the police’s response time when crimes are in progress.
This new approach to crime prevention had already reaped benefits, which will increase
after the training of newly enlisted members has been completed.
• The SAPS also featured prominently in the sporting arena. The SAPS proudly hosted the
Southern African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (SARPCCO) Games for the
second time in three years.
• A police member, Andrew Kehlele, did the SAPS proud by winning the 200
Comrades Marathon.
• Toyota SA donated 20 pick-up trucks to help fight crime in rural areas.
• In October, the SAPS hosted a special event to express its commitment to the fourth year
of the Governmental Partnership Against HIV/AIDS. To mark the occasion, the heads
of department were requested to report on the progress made towards implementing
their commitments of 2000 and to make further commitments. The programme had by
then already reached 25 000 SAPS members. As part of the programme, an HIV/AIDS
education programme and a training programme for social workers were developed.
• The Progressive Rural Safety Action Plan was launched on 16 August 2001.
Captain Crime Stop became a popular visitor to schools countrywide
• The SAPS donated redundant police equipment worth approximately R4 million to
the Department of Education for use in underprivileged communities throughout the
country. The goods donated included athletic vests, shirts, beds, bedside lockers and
haversacks.

2002
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
40
• The SAPS grieved at the loss of the Minister for Safety and Security, Mr Steve Tshwete,
on 26 April 2002.
• Mr Charles Nqakula was appointed Minister for Safety and Security.
• The year 2002 was proclaimed the Year of the Volunteer and the SAPS was heartened by
the response of the public. Some 70 000 members of the community volunteered their
services at police stations across the country. In January, some 500 volunteers reported for
duty in Soweto alone.
• In February, the US State Department donated seven uniquely trained sniffer dogs
to the SAPS. The dogs spent two weeks at the Roodeplaat training centre where they
underwent further training to adapt to South African working and weather conditions.
• National Commissioner Jackie Selebi announced that the SAPS would no longer be
selling motor vehicles by means of auctions. All vehicles forfeited to the state and all
redundant police vehicles would be compacted and completely destroyed. The SAPS
was convinced that the destruction of these vehicles would put a stop to syndicates
transforming stolen vehicles into “legal” vehicles by making use of the documents of
redundant vehicles.
• In March, Commissioner Sharon Schutte was appointed as an Assistant Commissioner
at the Detective Service, making her the first woman in the history of the Detective
Service to hold such a senior position.
• The banking sector threw in its weight behind the SAPS in curbing bank robberies
and cash-in-transit heists. The SAPS reached an agreement with the banking sector to
develop a formal mechanism for combating banking-related crimes and cash-in-transit
robberies.
• Operation Octopus was launched early in 2002 in conjunction with the Airport
Company of South Africa to make airports safer for all travellers, including tourists and
foreign businesspersons.
• The SAPS maintained a strong presence at international conferences such as the World
Conference Against Racism and the Nonaligned Movement Summit in Durban. These
major events prepared the SAPS for planning the security for the World Summit on
Sustainable Development that was held in August and September 2002.
• Assessment centres were introduced into the service’s processes of recruitment and
promotion to ensure that only the best candidates would be appointed.
• The SAPS conducted, among others, the following key operations in the 2001/2002
financial year:
- Operation Crackdown was a national operation aimed at addressing specific trends
regarding priority crimes in flashpoint areas. Towards the end of December 2001,
statistics indicated that crime had stabilized in general, except for three categories,
namely theft, robbery and robbery under aggravating circumstances.
- Provinces were tasked to conduct crime-combating operations with the emphasis on
the reduction of crime in prioritized areas from 28 January 2002 until 15 March
2002. The aim of the operations was to move beyond a stabilization of crime levels
and to bring about a reduction in crime.
• By June 2002, the Detective Service was in the final stages of reorganization to bring it in
line with the multidisciplinary approach adopted by the SAPS. During the two phases of
the process, 278 specialized units were closed, while 24 Organized Crime units with 723
members and 17 Commercial Branch units and one Serious Economic Crimes unit with
612 members were established. During the closing of the specialized units, more than
1 100 investigators were reassigned to the Detective Service at police stations.
• An interdepartmental domestic violence programme, which had been established in
1999 and which led the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, 1998, continued.
SAPS members received training in the implementation of the Act.
• The Division Crime Prevention set about optimizing the services of community service
centres and the Police Emergency Services (10111 call centres, Flying Squad and Highway
Patrol). Best practices and national standards were determined for implementation at all
community service centres to enhance service delivery. A new operational model for the
Police Emergency Services was developed. Capacity building in the Flying Squad and the
Highway Patrol received attention.

• A revised Rural Safety Programme was developed. The crime-prevention strategy in this
instance involved a number of rural stakeholders such as women’s groups, traditional
leaders, agricultural unions and farm labourers, as well as law-enforcement agencies.
• The National Instruction for the South African Reserve Police Service was approved
and circulated in the SAPS. The instruction dealt with all issues regarding Rests and
was aimed at assisting the service in attaining its aim of strengthening community
involvement and recruiting 30 000 Rests.
• In 2001/2002, the Division Training brought its education, training and development
skills priorities in line with the National Strategic Priorities of the SAPS.
• The SAPS focused on the optimization of crime statistics, operational training, functional
training, detective training, crime intelligence training, and management and leadership
development. A total of 4 711 courses were presented and 58 000 members underwent
training.
• In 2001/2002, 2 378 members were trained in the Crime Administration System and
810 members underwent training in respect of crime definitions and crime information
analysis.
• The main training focus for 2002/2003 was basic training. The SAPS trained 7 100 new
students from June 2002 at its training facilities in Pretoria, Oudtshoorn, Graaff-Reinet,
Bisho and Chatsworth, as well as at Maleoskop, Slagboom and Jakkalsdans.
• In May 2002, the first Firearm Registration Centre in the country was officially opened.
Firearm Registration Centres were established as part of the implementation of the
Designated Police Officer Model as prescribed by the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act
No 60 of 2000).
• Operation Tsipa was conceptualized as a special, targeted operation within Operation
Crackdown for those wards where stabilization had not been achieved yet. Operation
Tsipa ran from 28 January 2002 to 15 March 2002. The operation was carried out
by teams comprising members from various SAPS units, assisted by members of the
SANDF, the Department of Home Affairs, local traffic departments, SARS, other
relevant government departments and local municipalities.
• The SAPS invested substantially in new technology such as the Movement Control
System which was installed at border posts and airports in September 2002. The SAPS
Border Police operated at 53 land border posts, ten air border posts and nine sea border
posts. As a result of the Movement Control System, as well as other new technology such
as mobile luggage scanners, x-ray scanners, body scanners and a traffic-flow system, a
noticeable increase in the number of seizures of illicit and illegal items was reported.
• Another form of technology that was implemented and which proved to be extremely
valuable to the SAPS was the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
Women’s Day 2002: Female and male members of all ranks
handed out flowers to motorists. Divisional Commissioner
Lindiwe Mtimkulu was among them. (Picture: courtesy Pretoria News)
• In terms of drug-related successes over the period 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002,
mandrax tablets with an estimated value of R80 million, eConstasy with a value of R1
billion, cocaine to the value of R334 million and heroin to the value of R2 million
were seized during the Organized Crime Unit’s operations. In respect of vehicle-related
successes over the same period, Organized Crime units recovered vehicles with an
estimated value of R92 million and vehicle components to the value of R6 million.
• Preventing and combating crimes against women and children remained a priority
in the 2002/2003 financial year. The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual
Offences units arrested 15 861 offenders during this period, resulting in 98 terms of life
imprisonment being handed down by the courts and 14 918 years’ imprisonment being
meted out.
• As terrorism was becoming a matter of international concern, the Crime Intelligence
Division and the Detective Service proved to be effective. Intelligence indicated that a
group of extremists, known as the Boeremag, was planning a military-type coup and had
devised a detailed plan to overthrow the South African government. An integrated task
team comprising intelligence operatives, detectives and other police specialists arrested a
number of prominent members of this group, effectively neutralizing the threat.
41

2003
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
42
• By mid-2003, there were 32 Child Protection units and 13 Family Violence and Sexual
Offence units in the main centres and 156 towns across the country.
• By September 2003, police had made significant inroads in the fight against drug peddling
by confiscating drugs worth more than R500 million.
• The implementation of the Crime Prevention Development Programme continued
during 2003/2004. The programme facilitated the development and implementation
of community-based crime-prevention strategies. The programme was successfully
completed in the urban-renewal nodes of KwaMashu and Inanda in KwaZulu-Natal.
The project was aimed at enhancing crime-prevention partnerships between the SAPS,
municipalities, private security firms, businesses and local communities.
• Between January 2002 and April 2003, 18 police members were honoured for their acts
of outstanding and exceptional bravery and awarded the SAPS Cross for Bravery in the
different categories: Cross for Bravery (Gold) - one recipient; Cross for Bravery (Silver) - six
recipients; and Cross for Bravery (Bronze) - 11 recipients.
• The Minister of Public Works, Ms Stella Sigcau, and the Minister for Safety and Security,
Mr Charles Nqakula, handed over a community safety centre to the community of
Centane in the Eastern Cape in July 2003. Centane Community Safety Centre boasts
a police services point, a logistics and finance office, crime investigation services, two
Magistrate’s Courts, Correctional Services parole officers, cells, a victim support centre
and other auxiliary services such as a clinic with a delivery room, a four-bed ward, a
one-bed ward, five consulting rooms, a day-care centre for children and housing for
staff. Community safety centres were also opened in Thembalethu in the Western Cape,
Ntsimbini in KwaZulu-Natal, Leboeng in Limpopo and Khutsong in Gauteng.
• A national Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) was launched to make the country’s
criminal justice system more understandable and accessible for victims. The VEP provides
counselling and other support services to victims of crime.
• Early in the 2002/2003 financial year, an audit was conducted to determine the provinces’
needs for victim-friendly facilities. A three-year plan was subsequently developed for the
incremental establishment of such facilities. The plan prioritized the stations responsible
for 50 percent of reported incidents of gender-based violence such as rape and domestic
violence. By mid-2003, victim-friendly facilities had been established at 130 police stations
throughout the country.
• On 1 April 2003, the SAPS launched Operation Sethunya to combat the illegal possession,
trafficking and use of firearms by individuals involved in organized crime.
• According to a report released in November 2003, South Africa was the world leader in
solving serial murders. In other countries, it takes an average of two years to arrest a serial
killer. In South Africa, numerous serial killers have been arrested within six weeks. Since
1936, the police in South Africa had chased 60 serial killers. They were unsuccessful in
only 16 cases. Everyone who was arrested was subsequently convicted.
• In an effort to improve the conditions of service of members, additional death benefits for
police officials’ families were implemented in 2003. A death grant of R200 000 is payable
to families of police members who are killed in the line of duty.
• A new National Intervention Unit (NIU) was established in 2002/2003 to intervene in
extreme situations where normal policing is ineffective. The NIU carries out medium-risk
and high-risk operations to stabilize volatile situations and provides specialized operational
support to police stations, sections and units.
• In mid-2003, Cabinet approved the mandate, functions and broad structure of the new
Protection and Security Services Division of the SAPS. The division is responsible for
providing protection services to VIPs and for policing strategic installations. Pilot projects
involving the policing of the Beit Bridge border post, the Johannesburg International
Airport, the Durban harbour, the Cape Town train station and all high courts were
approved for the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 financial years.

• As part of the SARPCCO Agreement, SARPCCO training task teams were established
to develop training curricula on protocol regarding illegal firearms and cross-border
operations, HIV/Aids, the investigation of vehicle crime, counter-terrorism, the policing
of violence against women and children, computer crime and commercial crime. The
SAPS also assisted the SARPCCO countries by presenting a number of training courses in
various fields of policing. Countries that benefited from these courses included Swaziland,
Lesotho, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Haiti, the Comoros and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
• The SAPS continued with its efforts to inform the public on issues such as firearm
safety, keeping children safe from firearms and the requirements of the firearms control
legislation in the course of the year. The Minister for Safety and Security launched the
Rub Out Gun Violence campaign during the 16 Days of No Violence Against Women
and Children in November 2003. The campaign focused on keeping children safe from
firearm violence in South Africa.
• The SAPS engaged in discussions with regional counterparts on various levels regarding
the implementation of the South African Development Countries (SADC) Firearms
Protocol, which primarily deals with firearms control on a regional level.
43
• The responsibilities of the SAPS in terms of the interdepartmental Anti-rape Strategy
included initiating measures/projects to reduce rape and to improve the investigation of
rape cases and services provided to victims of rape. Guidelines were issued in 2003 to
ensure that a consistent approach was followed in the implementation of the Anti-rape
Strategy in all provinces. In Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern
Cape, provincial anti-rape strategies were developed and funded with the assistance of the
European Union.
• The Youth Crime Prevention Capacity Building Programme was launched to equip SAPS
members with the necessary skills to recognize and assist young people who are at risk
of turning to crime or of becoming victims of crime. A youth crime prevention training
programme was developed in cooperation with the Division: Training. The programme
contains modules on the management of awaiting trial juveniles.
• The SAPS continued to participate in interdepartmental programmes and processes,
including the Moral Regeneration Programme (coordinated by the Deputy President’s
office), the development of an implementation strategy for the Sexual Offences Bill
(coordinated by the Department of Justice), the Child Labour Action Programme
Steering Committee (coordinated by the Department for Labour), the development of
an Interdepartmental Victim Empowerment Policy (coordinated by the Department
of Social Development) and the development of a Victim Charter (coordinated by the
Department of Justice).
Members of the Intervention Unit in training
• The aim of the Local Crime Prevention Development Programme was to mobilize action
and participation in strategic crime prevention interventions at community level. To
achieve this aim, multisectorial interventions were supported and services were brought in
line with root causes of crime and violence. The programme was based on the philosophy
that the community must take ownership of their situation, and identify and participate in
activities to reduce or prevent crime.
• As part of enhancing partnerships in policing, a National Forum comprising the SAPS,
municipal/metropolitan police services and the Independent Complaints Directorate was
initiated. The National Forum is a communication mechanism between the SAPS and
municipal/metropolitan police services.
• Approximately 601 CCTV cameras were connected to CCTV systems of local
government structures and the business sector to assist with combating crime in public
places. Of the 601 CCTV cameras, 177 were installed in Gauteng, 98 in Cape Town, 90
in Durban and 236 in other cities/towns.

2004
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
44
Spreading the message... The SAPS
celebrating its tenth anniversary...
on buses in the main centres
of the country
Deputy Minister
Susan Shabangu
• As indicated in the Annual Report of 2002/2003, the SAPS developed a Service Integrity
Strategy to address corruption in its ranks. In the 2003/2004 financial year, a considerable
effort was made to put mechanisms in place to detect alleged cases of corruption and to
implement restorative actions aimed at dealing with potential shortcomings that may
result in or contribute to corruption. In this regard, the risk management procedures
being implemented in the SAPS to manage identified risks play an important part in
preventing and detecting corruption. The Internal Audit Unit, for example, evaluated
all action plans and carried out follow-up audits. These audits mainly focused on
financial discipline reviews, compliance audits, risk-based audits, performance audits
and forensic audits.
• In January, the Air Wing received a donation of a new Squirrel helicopter and three-belly
tank spraying systems from the United States. The Squirrel increased the SAPS fleet of
this type of aircraft to six and the total number of helicopters to 26.
• The Minister for Safety and Security announced the establishment and launch of career
centres in the SAPS in his Budget Vote address in 2003. These career centres support
the objective of informing and educating the youth and SAPS employees about career
options and career planning. In order to achieve this objective, visual walk-in career
centres were established. The first career centre was launched in Gauteng in February.
The career centre is situated at the Human Rights Square in Sharpeville. Already
KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces have launched their centres.
• Susan Shabangu succeeded Joe Matthews as Deputy Minister for Safety and Security.
• Various capital works projects were carried out during the 2003/2004 financial year.
These projects included, among others, the building of new police stations, the upgrading
and renovation of existing police infrastructure, the upgrading of cells, and the provision
of additional accommodation and humanitarian infrastructure.
• A group of police officers from Nigeria and Swaziland underwent more than four
months of intensive training in Pretoria to become expert narcotics and explosives dog
handlers. The five officers were based at the Roodeplaat Dog Training School.
• According to a US government report released in March, the SAPS was making inroads
in the fight against illegal drugs. The International Narcotics Control Strategy Report
commended the SAPS for dismantling a large number of laboratories that manufacture
chemicals used in synthetic drugs and for taking steps to keep better track of the
smuggling of those substances.
• In April, an agreement was signed with the SAPS to install a fully automated forensic
DNA typing system for the SAPS. The project was financed by the European Union.
• An estimated R1-billion worth of mandrax was confiscated in Durban harbour in May
during Operation West. The operation is a project aimed at rooting out West African
drug dealers in Durban.

• The Anti-terrorism Training Programme was launched at the Hammanskraal Training
College in May. Counter-terrorism skills such as intelligence gathering and the prevention
of, reaction to, and analyzing of and identifying acts of terrorism form part of the
curriculum.
• In July, 1,5 ton of abalone, the biggest haul yet in the Eastern Cape, was confiscated
during a raid at a smallholding near Port Elizabeth.
• Several drug busts in Gauteng between the end of June and mid-July resulted in drugs
with a street value of some R546 million being seized.
• In July, drugs with a street value of more than R750 million were destroyed on the East
Rand.
• The SAPS Women’s Network was launched in July to assist and support women in the
service. The network would run at station, provincial and national levels.
• SAPS celebrated Women’s Day in August by conducting roadblocks and handing out
flowers to women drivers.
• Friday, 13 August turned out to be an unlucky day for two groups of cash-in-transit heist
robbers planning attacks not far from each other in North West. In two separate incidents
heists were foiled by members of the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit supported by the
Special Task Force in one incident and by the National Intervention Unit in the other.
• Illegal drugs and substances used in making them with an estimated street value of more
than R2,5 billion were seized between July and September 2004.
• A community policing forum was officially launched at the Cape Town International
Airport in October. The forum was launched because of the need to join hands between
the airport community and the police in order to address crime-related challenges within
the airport precinct.
• A new era of crime prevention was heralded when all stations in Soweto received new
roadblock trailers equipped with the latest hi-tech equipment. A mobile joint operational
centre, situated in a large trailer, was also handed over to the area crime prevention unit.
The trailer is equipped with cameras, television and laptops.
• A special task team set up to combat bank robberies and cash-in-transit heists managed
to almost halve the number of incidents in Gauteng in two years.
• Thousands of counterfeit DVDs, worth more than R83 million, were confiscated at
Durban International Airport between April and October 2004.
• A lethal arsenal of missiles, anti-tank rockets, machine guns, ammunition and landmines
were blown up during a combined South African and Mozambican police operation in
October.
• The suspected leader of one of the country’s biggest crime syndicates was taken into
custody in October in the Cape after the SAPS systematically exposed the network. He
was suspected to be the leader of a syndicate involved in drug and abalone smuggling,
gang violence, murder and the Chinese mafia.
• More than 1,5 tons of frozen abalone was seized at the Lebombo border post between
Mpumalanga and Mozambique in October. With a street value of more than R1,5
million, it was the biggest of four perlemoen busts in the past two years.
• In 2004, on instruction from National Commissioner Jackie Selebi, the Special Task
Force was open to women. Of the 34 women who applied at the beginning of the year,
29 made it through Operation Vasbyt. Five completed the last leg – alongside 14 men.
• In November, the French government pledged R10 million to help the SAPS fight
transnational crime and terrorism. This was announced at the conclusion of the first
joint co-operation programme, which started in 2001.
• The last man wanted after an R11 million heist at Rennies Bank in Sandton in 2003 was
arrested in Soweto in November.
• In November, the anti-hijacking team recovered R1,5 million worth of stolen goods on a
farm near Pretoria.
• In November, two men were arrested and dagga worth at least R3,8 million confiscated
at a Lesotho border post.
• The Firearms Control Act, (Act 60 of 2000) was implemented. In December Safety
and Security Minister Charles Nqakula announced a Firearms Amnesty from January
to March 2005 - making it possible for persons illegally in possession of firearms to hand
them in without being prosecuted.
45