Community Safety Annual Report 2011-2012 - Gauteng Online

oth in the country and elsewhere in the global family of nations, that even the best-equipped police force in the world willnot succeed unless it visibly enjoys the unwavering support of the law abiding citizens it polices. I remain convinced that acrime-free Gauteng is possible and within reach. When we know who our neighbours are, then we can effectively becomeour brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. I will continue to encourage all our people in the province to join the Department in theKnow-Your-Neighbourhood Campaign given the evidence that the campaign is beginning to yield the desired outcomes.Policing coordination and collaborationThe cooperation between and collaboration amongst the province’s law enforcement agencies has had a major contributoryeffect to the marked reduction in a variety of crime categories during the reporting period. We have seen how the threeMetropolitan Police Departments (Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni) proudly came to the proverbial party in support ofthe SAPS during the policing of the numerous public gatherings, demonstrations and protest marches throughout the periodunder review. The implementation of the decision by the Executive Council to ensure the better management of these publicgatherings, demonstrations and protest marches has gone unhindered. I am proud to state, without any fear of contradiction,that the Department has been able to provide municipalities, especially the City of Johannesburg that understandablyreceives the largest number of notices for public gatherings, with the necessary support to enable them fully to give effectto the Regulation of Gatherings Act, 1993 (Act No. 205 of 1993). Whilst the Constitution guarantees everyone the rightto assemble, to demonstrate, to picket and to present petitions, I must remind our people that the Constitution requiresparticipants in the demonstrations or protest marches to be ‘peaceful and unarmed’.I can assure the province that all our law enforcement agencies know exactly what to do in the event of non-compliancewith the law in this regard. I commend the Department, led by the Head of Department (HOD), for making it possible for theprovince to experience peaceful demonstrations instead of the violence we have seen in the near past.Strengthening community policing and building a social movement against crimeThe Constitution further entitles the province to promote good relations between the police and the community. During thereporting period, the focused in this regard remained on the strengthening of the Community Police Forums (CPFs) we haveestablished at each of the 137 police stations in the province. Working together with the leadership of the SAPS in theprovince, we have been able to launch the Constitution of the Gauteng Provincial Community Police Board (the ProvincialBoard) in Greater Kliptown during the reporting period. The natural expectation is that all our CPFs and Cluster CommunityPolice Boards will ensure that their constitutions are effectively aligned to the constitution of the Provincial Board. The CPFshave a central role to play in entrenching partnership policing in the province. As I indicated hereinabove, the police will notsucceed unless they have the unwavering support of the communities they police. It is for this reason that urge members ofall our communities to continue to join the CPFs and the community patroller groups established at their local police stations.Implementation of the Civilian Secretariat and IPID ActsI am fully mindful of the responsibility placed on my shoulders by the enactment of the Civilian Secretariat for Police ServiceAct, 2011 (the Act), especially as it relates to the established of a Provincial Secretariat within a period of 18 monthsfollowing the commencement date of this new piece of legislation. I can state without hesitation that the timeframes stipulatedin the law shall be respected. We will continue to focus on the implementation of the Act as well as the Independent PoliceInvestigative Directorate Act, 2011 in order to professionalise the police service. I expect the Department to be relentlessand fearless in its monitoring of compliance by the SAPS with the various provisions of the Domestic Violence Act, 1998 andthe National Instruction 7 of 1999 on Domestic Violence.Promotion of road safety in the Decade of ActionThe reduction in the number of road accidents and fatalities will remain one of our key areas of focus as we do what wemust do during this Decade of Action. We will be adopting a zero-tolerance approach to the fight against drunken drivingas well as reckless and negligent driving.The message remains as clear as crystal - In Gauteng, asibhenywa, asibhay’i-skelem, siyabopha!!Ke a leboga!________________________Faith Nonhlanhla MazibukoMember Of Executive CouncilDepartment Of Community Safety12 | Annual Report 2011/12 • Department of Community Safety