A very good morning to the:

Deputy Minister of Police, Mr Cassel Mathale,

National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola,

National Head of the DPCI, General (Dr/Adv) Lebeya,

Special Advisor to the Minister, Advocate Vusi Pikoli,

Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lt. General Sibiya,

The CEO of PsiRA, Mr Chauke,

Divisional Commissioners present,

Civilian Secretariat for Police Service, Mr Ntuli on behalf of the DG,

Members of the media, 

Citizens of South Africa. 

This week we convened our three-day National Policing Summit, which commenced on Tuesday, the 8th of April and ended yesterday. 

We had the honour of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, gracing us with his presence and delivering the keynote address. Officials from the SAPS, other law enforcement agencies, Organised Labour, members of academia, health professionals, partners from the private sector and civil society organisations, engaged in robust discussions, and made meaningful contributions during the various Commissions. It was refreshing to see South Africans passionate about not only policing, but the safety and security of South Africa and its citizens. 

So, we are here this morning to account to the citizens of South Africa and provide them with a broad summary of what we have been doing in the last three days. 

Our Summit was held under the theme: “Efficiency In Action: Optimising South Africa’s Policing Potential” and this fits squarely with our goal: the realisation of an efficient, effective, responsive, proactive and professional police service. 

The Summit is conceptualised not as a once off; not Minister or National Commissioner linked, but we wish that it could be a standard practice, held every 5 years.

Three key priorities have been set for the 7th Administration, namely: driving inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty, and building a capable, ethical, and developmental state. These priorities serve as our guide as we address the challenges that hamper on us achieving them from a safety and security point of view.     

There are four provinces which we have classified as hotspots and for that reason, we are focusing on dealing decisively with crime in these provinces- Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern and Western Cape. 

Our top priorities are:
reducing murder
removing unnecessary firearms from communities
removing drugs
fighting GBV & F
organised crime

We are very much aware of the increases in crimes such as kidnappings, extortion, Cash-In-Transit heists and stock theft. There are plans underway to bring those crimes under control. 

As a means of effectively reducing crime, we have identified several key enablers, inclusive of: 

• using and improving our technology;
• strengthening our Crime Intelligence;
• capacitating and upskilling our detective services; 
• improving and expanding our forensic services; and
• improving the general environment under which police officers work.

The Employee Health and Wellness Workshop convened in February this year sought to address all the SAPS internal issues, relating to personal health matters and conditions of service. These were processed through various Commissions and now endorsed by the Summit. Going forward, we are seized with implementation. 

We have made mention of the budgetary constraints, but we have also committed to maximising the budget allocated and the resources at our disposal. Business has also come on board and through that partnership, there are projects aimed at capacitating, particularly our detective services, improving our technology and increasing our laboratories. 

The National Commissioner will provide a summary on the outcomes of the Summit and measures to be implemented in their varying categories; time frames will be finalised in due course. 

The people of South Africa demand policing that is efficient, effective, and accountable. The people of South Africa demand a police service that is worthy of their trust, and most importantly, the people of South Africa demand that we act.

As I conclude, I want to reaffirm our commitment. We are committee to realising an efficient, effective, and responsible police service, one that reflects the values and aspirations of our democracy. This is non-negotiable.

Thank you.