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Taking action:
Government's crime-fighting priorities for 2001
In his State of the Nation address this year, President Mbeki noted that the government remains "very conscious of the fact that the safety and security of all our people is a fundamental right, and a critical element in our efforts to improve the quality of life of all our people". Shortly thereafter, safety and security minister Steve Tshwete announced the justice, crime prevention and security cluster priorities for 2001.
The justice, crime prevention and security cluster consists of the ministries of safety and security, justice and constitutional development, correctional services, home affairs, and defence. It functions, according to minister Tshwete, to focus the activities and resources of these departments to:
- Address crime and public disorder,
- Improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, and
- Address factors that impact negatively on the socio-economic development of the country.
The priorities for 2001 are ambitious and focus almost entirely on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal justice system.
A "fairly reliable structure" for crime statistics
First up are steps to improve the collection and analysis of crime statistics to the point that the minister may lift the moratorium imposed in July 2000. He will be prepared to do so when assured that these statistics are not misguiding, misleading, or viewed with scepticism by the SAPS top management.
In order to meet these expectations, the SAPS is:
- Revising and standardising crime definitions and counting rules.
- Training a significant number of police officials.
- Deploying civilian staff to assist with data capturing.
- Allocating R1.3-million to purchase new workstations.
- Initiating a process to improve its IT systems.
- Enlisting a further 300 data typists by the end of April this year.
Given this, the moratorium on the release of crime statistics is likely to be reviewed in June this year.
An action plan to reduce case backlogs
The second priority for the cluster is to address the backlog of cases currently choking South Africa’s courts. The National Directorate of Public Prosecutions reported that if nobody were arrested for two years, it would take the same number of years to clear the backlog. There are currently 55000 accused facing charges of serious crimes like murder, rape and other violent crimes and, according to the minister, there is a plan to address this backlog. However, apart from indicating that R8m has been allocated to provide for more prosecutors and magistrates, and that some regional courts will extend their hours of operation to Saturdays, he did not provide further detail on this plan.
More prisons, less time awaiting trial
The minister also said that correctional services would increase its capacity to manage increases in the inmate population. Given the overcrowding of South African prisons, this is likely to be easier said than done. Last year 15664 awaiting trial prisoners who had been granted bail of R1000 or less were released, hopefully to return for trial at a later date, and parole dates were advanced for 5256 prisoners eligible for community supervision.
Furthermore, the Kokstad Maximum Prison and the Devon Pre-release Centre, which together will hold 2040 prisoners, are to be commissioned later in the year. In addition, construction of two privatised prisons, one in Bloemfontein and the other in Louis Trichardt, together holding 6052 prisoners, is currently underway. The intention is also to reduce the average detention time of awaiting trial offenders by 40% from 122 days to 87 days.
Improved information technology
This year will see the initiation of ambitious technology projects to improve information sharing in the criminal justice system. These include:
- Automation of justice processes: Aimed at integrating the activities of selected police stations in Johannesburg and Durban, the courts and prisons in these areas, as well as those of the department of social development. Due for completion by March 2003.
- National photo image system: Aimed at creating a digital photo database for the identification of offenders and improving exhibit management. Due for completion by March 2003.
- Inmate tracking system: Aimed at improving identification and monitoring of prisoners in various holding facilities. Due for completion by March 2004.
- Automated fingerprint identification system.
- A range of smaller information-sharing projects: Aimed at improving communication between the departments of the criminal justice system.
Reorganising policing in priority areas
The minister indicated that a range of initiatives are to be implemented in the SAPS priority areas, to improve Operation Crackdown, the three year crime-combating strategy initiated by commissioner Selebi in March 2000
These include:
- Amalgamation of the specialised units. The creation of organised crime units, and serious and violent crime units, from the more than 500 SAPS specialised investigation units.
- Rapid response teams at ports of entry. To improve border control and combat cross-border crime.
- Air-supported reaction teams. To ensure a rapid response to hijacking, armed robbery and other serious crimes.
- Rapid deployment stability force. To quickly stabilise serious public order incidents.
- Special tracing teams. To arrest individuals who have arrest warrants out against them.
- Implementation of sector policing in selected areas.
Community mobilisation
The minister also indicated that a major community mobilisation programme is to be implemented in the SAPS priority areas to discourage communities from creating markets for stolen goods, to encourage them to participate in crime prevention partnerships, and to provide guidelines for crime prevention in these areas.
To ensure an integrated approach to community involvement, a single structure will be created to integrate community liaison with the relevant departments. This, for the minister, means that the Community Police Forums (CPF’s) are to be integrated with the liaison structures of the other departments. Changes to the role and functions of the CPF’s would entail, at the very least, amendments to the South African Police Service Act of 1995, as well as the publication of departmental regulations (an issue outstanding since 1995). However, the minister did not elaborate on just how, or when, this was to happen.
Conclusion
The justice, crime prevention and security cluster has clearly indicated its priorities regarding improvements to the efficiency of the criminal justice system. The assumption is that such improvements will deter offenders and therefore reduce the incidence of crime. Indeed, minister Tshwete asserts that "the swift prosecution of criminals will contribute immensely toward our goal of bringing down the levels of internal and cross-border crime". Given the scope of the problems facing South Africa’s criminal justice system, improvements outlined by the Minister as priorities for the year are valuable even if their focus is more on responding to, rather than preventing, crime.
Eric Pelser
Institute for Security Studies
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