Programme Director

MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport: Hon. Mbalula
National Commissioner of the SAPS: Gen. SF Masemola
Vice-Chancellor and Principal- UFS: Prof Hester C. Klopper
Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation: Prof. V Reddy
Deputy Vice Chancellor: Academic: Prof. A Rhoda
Division VisPol Head: Major General TN Mathonsi
CSPS Representative: Mr B Ntuli
Senior Officers from SAPS and Government Officials
Student Leadership
University staff and Students
Distinguished guests;
Ladies and gentlemen

Good Afternoon.

I am honoured to be part of this august gathering aimed at launching the University of the Free State’s Campus Community Safety Forum or what is known as the Campus Safety Team.  This is a great step forward in our continuous endeavours to ensure the safety of all our citizens (including our future leaders and professionals in institutions of higher learning) in pursuit of the aspirations of the Freedom Charter and our Constitutional imperatives.

I must apologise for not being able to join you yesterday as I had to be in Parliament for the budget vote.  I guess it was my loss as I believe it was a fruitful day for you and a progressive move towards ensuring the safety and security of our institutions of higher learning.  This is where the future of our Country lies.

Programme Director; the disadvantage of joining an occasion comprising of some of the greatest minds our country has produced is that you miss out on valuable inputs and you also run a risk of repeating what has already been covered during the deliberations.  I therefore beg your pardon in advance should I repeat anything you may have discussed during the course of yesterday.  I still hope to add value to your deliberations though. 

If I fail to add value, at least I hope to have registered my unequivocal condemnation of crime in our campuses as well as my support for the launch of this collaborative crime fighting initiative.

Ladies and Gentlemen

I am aware that you had an in-depth discussion on matters of crime, especially Gender-Based Violence within the University of the Free State (UFS) and institutions of higher learning in general, and I believe that you have come up with some progressive solutions to resolving the challenges we are faced with.  I am actually looking forward to the report and the recommendations emanating therefrom.  I must say that I have no doubt in my mind that it will take us forward as we forge ahead in our fight against crime and criminality.

Mine today is to express our support (as the Ministry of Police), for the strategic interventions that have been put in place by the South Africa Police Service, in partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Training, the academia (especially UFS today) as well as other stakeholders– which have culminated in the establishment of the Campus Community Safety Forum that we are launching today.

As you may be aware, crime and criminality have a severe impact on the quality of life of all South Africans, particularly the poor and the vulnerable. Crime is a serious impediment to our people fully enjoying the rights and freedoms afforded to them by our Constitution. 

As in the words of our erstwhile icon, the late President Nelson Mandela; “The freedom and democracy for which we struggled so long will remain incomplete while criminals undermine our safety and security”.  High levels of crime also hinder efforts to stimulate growth, increase investment and reduce poverty. Crime undermines the state and its power to protect it’s citizens, hence the need to keep reinventing and strengthening strategies and interventions to fight crime at all levels.

Safety in the Learning Environment remains a key Priority of the SAPS. It is for that reason that since 2018, the SAPS started consulting with various stakeholders on the subject matter. This growing concern compelled the SAPS to come up with ways to respond to the growing criminal activities in Institutions of Higher Learning inclusive of private student residential place.

The Integrated Youth Crime Prevention Strategy is a strategic and operational response towards youth criminality, where young people are both victims and perpetrators of crime. It is also a platform to trigger legislative development and policy review to reinforce protection for the youth as a high risk sector of the community. The undertone is youth development as a long term objective through enhanced economic participation and coordinated mentorship and life coaching programs. The youth generally should be encouraged to actively participate in crime prevention and societal development in realizing the ideals of Vision 2030 of the National Development Plan.

As much as we are aware that it is our Constitutional mandate as the SAPS to create a safe and secure environment for all who live in South Africa, we are also equally aware that the fight against crime and criminality cannot be won by SAPS alone.  We need a holistic approach that involves all the stakeholders.  In this instance, we need the whole university community to play a role.

While we work on the legislative, policy and strategic environment we need all the stakeholders to participate in the implementation and realisation of the outcomes. 

Under the directive and stewardship of President Ramaphosa, Government continues to visibly increase police presence on the streets as a further deterrent to criminal activities, especially in crime hotspots. We have increased the number of police personnel by over 25 000 new police trainees that have now been recruited to ensure that the South African Police Service (SAPS) urgently gets the capacity it needs.  This recruitment drive will also assist us in capacitating other areas within SAPS, including efforts to curb GBV&F.

However, no amount of boots on the ground will curb the occurrence of crime without the involvement of the community and other stakeholders.

It is with this in mind that we strive to enhance and improve relations with the communities we serve, and also to mobilize the community to join us in implementing crime prevention initiatives – hence we are here today. 

I must applaud the warm and enthusiastic reception of the UFS.  From the first moment this partnership was initiated in 2018, this institution was willing to come on board.  I am also aware and appreciative of your contribution towards this launch today.

As the organization, we are fully mindful of the fact that we need you (management and the student community of the university) to be part of us in an endeavor to better the crime situation in and around this institution.

We, therefore, strive to enhance and improve relations with you and the communities we serve.  We also strive to mobilize the community to join us in implementing crime prevention initiatives.

As we do all of this, we also engage all relevant stakeholders to contribute towards the plight of fighting against crime – hence we are here today.

As the organization, we are fully aware that we need you (management and the student community) to be part of us in an endeavour to better the crime situation in and around this institution.

Institutions of Higher Learning are a microcosm of the community.  Trends and activities taking place within the community tend to manifest within the institutions as well.  Therefore, we believe that all our crime fighting interventions developed for the community at large must extend to the Institutions as well.

I therefore wish to implore the campus safety team to familiarise itself with the Integrated Crime and Violence Prevention Strategy (ICVPS) which was adopted by Cabinet in 2022.  The Strategy advocates for a whole of government and society approach in fighting crime and preventing violence. It is the overarching strategy encompassing all other related strategies (144 legislations & policies were examined and aligned in this process).  It also recognizes that violence and crime are due to complex social, economic and psychological factors, and requires an integrated preventative approach to address the root causes of crime and violence.

The ICVPS recognizes that safety is not the responsibility of the SAPS alone.

It consists of six interdependent and interrelated pillars, which are:

• An effective criminal justice;

• Early interventions in preventing crime;

• Victim support interventions;

• Effective and integrated service delivery;

• Safety through environmental design; and

• Active public and community participation.

The last two pillars are of particular relevance to the University.  The environmental design of the University must always consider safety and the whole university community must be active participants in crime prevention interventions and activities, as per the community safety team we are launching.

Ladies and Gentleman; As I was going through the concept paper for this event, I couldn’t help noticing how we chose to focus on the crimes of dishonesty (which are very serious considering the rate of corruption - actual or perceived - in the country, but I felt that we are inadvertently downplaying serious violent and gender based crimes which are a serious pandemic, not only in South Africa but in the continent and the world at large.

According to the UNwomen Org, femicide, or killing of women and girls because of their gender, is the most extreme and brutal manifestation of violence. It is driven by discrimination against women and girls, unequal power relations, gender stereotypes, or harmful social norms, which can escalate to a deadly outcome. 

The fourth national femicide study in South Africa revealed that three women were killed every day by an intimate partner from 2020 - 2021.  I know these stats are a bit old but the situation has not changed much to date.  As a father of girls, this is a phenomenon I cannot ignore.

Let me, at this stage, appreciate the UFS’ maintenance of a strict zero-tolerance policy towards gender-based violence (GBV), recognising it as a severe violation of human rights that detrimentally impacts physical, sexual, reproductive, mental, and social well-being on a global scale.  GBV being a matter of serious concern to SAPS, I want to encourage the management of the university to strengthen the implementation of this policy.

Unfortunately the culture of silence perpetuates femicide and gender based violence, not only in South Africa but globally.  So above the zero-tolance policy, I also want to encourage the University to conduct awareness campaigns aimed at encouraging victims of GBV to speak up.

The speaking up drive must apply to all other crimes as well and that’s why we are establishing these all encompassing crime fighting and safety teams to ensure that no crime goes unreported.

I have been made aware that there are representatives from other institutions of higher learning amongst us and I wish to challenge them to imulate UFS and ensure that this programme is rolled-out to their institutions as well.

Congratulations to all appointed as part of the team!!!

Thank you