Contribution by
Dr LPHM Mtshali MPP 

Mr Speaker and Hon Members, as I participate in this debate I will focus attention on the scourge of crime which is threatening the integrity and stability of our fledgling democracy. None of us can vouch that they have escaped the horrendous effects of crime either at a personal level or in relation to our neighbors and relatives. We all face the challenge of contributing our share to strategies which will rid our province of the cancer of crime which is threatening economic development. There is a real risk that potential investors will channel their capital to destinations that are not crime ridden.

The visits to targeted police stations in the Umzimkhulu Policing Area highlighted the unacceptable levels of brutality that is directed against vulnerable groups, i.e. women and children. The high incidence of child abuse, rape, and the case backlogs nullify the excellent work done by men and women attached to the Family Violence and Child Protection Unit.

The Portfolio Committee came face-to-face with the reality of over-crowded police holding cells and the demands imposed by inadequacy of accommodation at the Port Shepstone Correctional Facility. We note with concern that some of the police stations visited had violated the SAPS prescripts of keeping prisoners in custody for periods in excess of forty-eight hours. The appalling conditions at police holdings cells expose the station commissioners to litigation on charges of violation of human rights.

Let me conclude on the urgent need of interaction between the Portfolio Committee and the Department’s directorate charged with the responsibility of monitoring and evaluation of SAPS performance. During our visits it emerged that certain officials attached to the monitoring directorate were not adequately informed of problems on the ground. This could be discerned from the nature of questions asked and the anxiety to engage the station commissioners.