SAPS’s R26 billion failure to fight crime
30 September 2015
Yesterday’s release of the annual crime statistics revealed that violent crime is on the rapid increase. As such the DA finds it inexplicable that National Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega- as SAPS’s Accounting Officer - has earmarked R26 billion which amounts to more than a third of the police budget to legally defend police misconduct.
This comes at immeasurable cost to the safety and security of the millions of South Africans who today live in a country with a murder rate that sees 49 South Africans murdered each day and a 5.2% increase in attacks on our homes and businesses. However, contingent liabilities refer to potential obligations that the SAPS itself may have to pay depending on the outcome of future events, such as civil claims. The fact that the SAPS management believe that over a third of the budget may have to be used to pay out citizens for attacks and criminality by its members, is staggering.
This is glaring evidence that the SAPS in fact has the money to introduce the necessary interventions to arrest the soaring crime rates as revealed yesterday but simply refuses to do so. This can only be attributed to the national government’s complete lack of political will to prioritise the safety and security of millions of South Africans who are victims of crime every single day.
This money would be better spent on recruiting, training and resourcing the SAPS so that they may properly combat crime. The R26 billion should instead go towards renovating crumbling police stations, to supplying more vehicles, to recruiting and training more SAPS members that the country desperately needs to fight crime. Instead this amount is what the SAPS believes will be needed to clean up the mess that SAPS members create.
Additionally the crime stats provide greater evidence for the need to re-establish specialised crime units so disastrously shut down by Selebi. Their re-establishment in terms of 21st century international best practice policing is crucial if we are to win the war on these particular areas of crime that have seized the South African people across the country.
For instance The Western Cape SAPS has 2392 vacancies. At the time of reporting, they were 4076 granted posts for detectives in the Western Cape Province, but in reality they were only 3488 detectives serving in posts. There are 588 detectives, or 14% fewer detectives than the Western Cape should have. This money would go a long way to alleviating these gross resourcing deficits.
This comes after the SAPS Annual Report 2015/2016 revealed that contingent liabilities projection at the SAPS increased by over R6.3 billion from last year to an astronomical R26 billion.
The R26 billion figure is for when SAPS members injure or kill citizens, or damage property. The projections of liabilities for the 2014/2012 are horrific:
-Assault – R865 352 000
-Police actions – R23 286 724 000
-Shooting incidents – R657 397 000
-Vehicle accidents – R174 905 000
-Legal expenses – R527 855 000
-Damage to property – R2 010 000
-Damage to State property – R8 444 000
-Other – R657 397 000
This means that the SAPS is making provision for the possibility that a third of its national budget may have to be paid out to cover for criminal and civil claims against SAPS members who in part are completely without discipline. This is not to indict all SAPS officers because the majority of the men and women on our service risk their lives every day to do good work.
The SAPS Annual Report read with yesterday’s crime stats tells one grim story that under the current Police Minister, Nathi Nhleko, and Commissioner Phiyega’s watch:
-Police criminality has increased; and
-Crime statistics illustrate that serious crimes have increased or stabilised at unacceptably high levels with no sign that national government will put in place the necessary resources.
Continuing to throw money at the problem is not a solution to solving either the problem or the high levels of crime.
South Africa is tired of hearing “the good story” that the SAPS is improving – when it’s actually a Fairy Tale.
Crime affects each and every one of us. We must fight crime with all means at our disposal, because the people of South Africa deserve better. They do not need to live under siege in their barricaded homes, their increasingly alarm-protected cars and their high-walled communities.
Will Nhleko and Phiyega act on this astonishing information – or do nothing?
The fact is South Africans are being killed, robbed and maimed and only a career Police Officer, a tightening of regulations, and a clear out of criminal cops will start the turn-around needed to make this country work.
Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard, DA Shadow Minister of Police, 30 September 2015
