The happiness that comes with freedom applies equally to the challenge of dealing with crime, President Thabo Mbeki said in his State of the Nation address during the opening of Parliament in a rainy Cape Town on Friday.
“Certainly, we cannot erase that which is ugly and repulsive and claim the happiness that comes with freedom if communities live in fear, closeted behind walls and barbed wire, ever anxious in their houses, on the streets and on our roads, unable freely to enjoy our public spaces,” the president told MPs who had arrived earlier wearing colourful attire.
“Obviously, we must continue and further intensify the struggle against crime.”
Though the targeted figure of 152 000 officers employed in the South African Police Service has been surpassed and the police training programme has been improved, the effects of this are not enough for all South Africans to feel a heightened sense of safety and security, he said.
“While we have reduced the incidence of most contact crimes, the annual reduction rate with regard to such categories as robbery, assault and murder is still below the 7% to 10% that we had targeted. And the abuse of women and children continues at an unacceptable level,” Mbeki said
Security industry
The security industry is not simply an affair of the private sector, as was evident from the increase in the incidence of particular crimes during last year’s lengthy strike by security workers, he continued.
“Quite clearly the regulatory system that we have in place is inadequate. This applies to such issues as wage levels, personnel vetting systems, enforcement of guidelines on cash-delivery vehicles, and so on.”
This matter will be reviewed during the course of 2007 to ensure that the police and the private security industry can meet the security expectations of the public.
More effort will also be put into improving the functioning of the country’s courts, to help clear case backlogs.
“And we will ensure that decisions to expand the correctional services infrastructure, improve the management of border control as well as the immigration and documentation services, among others, are implemented,” Mbeki said.
The government will ensure that decisions already taken about strengthening its fight against crime are effectively implemented.
“The challenge that we face in addressing this issue has little to do with policies,” the president said. “Rather, what is required is effective organisation, mobilisation and leadership of the mass of law-enforcement, intelligence and corrections officers, and functionaries of the justice system.
“The overwhelming majority of these public servants have proven over and over again in actual practice that they are prepared to put their lives on the line and to sacrifice even the little quality time they could have with their families, in defence of our freedom and our security.”
Regarding crime, this year the government plans to:
- improve police officers’ remuneration and working conditions, and expand the personnel of the South African Police Service to more than 180 000 within three years;
- bring to full capacity forensic laboratories that have been equipped with the latest technology, and ensure the optimum utilisation of the fingerprint database;
- intensify intelligence work with regard to organised crime, building on successes that have been achieved recently in dealing with cash-in-transit heists, drug trafficking and poaching of game and abalone;
- use new technology that has been provided to the justice system and improve management of the courts and the prosecution service, in order to reduce case backlogs; and
- improve its analysis of crime trends with regard to crime prevention and crime combating.
The crime debate was stirred up this week by the pulling by First National Bank of a media campaign to focus on fighting crime. Opposition parties have criticised the Mbeki government — and the ruling African National Congress — for putting pressure on the bank to postpone the campaign.
The Freedom Front Plus said in a statement on Thursday: “With only two years remaining in his term in office, Mbeki could use the opening of Parliament … to be remembered as a statesman.
“That would entail that he is magnanimous enough to acknowledge the seriousness of the crime situation, announce new solutions for it as well as announce imaginative new steps to improve South Africa’s electricity and road infrastructure.”
Measures to boost Asgisa
Mbeki said the government will be looking at measures in the year ahead to facilitate the growth of industries that produce tradables for both the domestic and export markets, and have the potential to absorb large pools of semi-skilled workers.
“In order to further speed up the implementation of the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative [Asgisa] over and above the multi-year programmes announced in the recent past, government will this year complete the process of reviewing the country’s experience in the articulation among such macro-economic indicators as the exchange rate, inflation and interest rates, so as to put in place measures that will facilitate the growth of industries which produce tradables for both the domestic and export markets, and have the potential to absorb large pools of semi-skilled workers,” said Mbeki.
In line with the national industrial policy framework that has now been completed, the government will intensify implementation of customised sector measures to facilitate investments in business process outsourcing, tourism, bio-fuels and chemicals, and finalise practical programmes for forestry and paper, clothing and textiles, metals and engineering.
“We will develop an overarching strategy to prioritise key interventions in mining and mineral beneficiation, agriculture and agro-processing, the white-goods sector, creative industries, community and social services and pharmaceuticals. This must include a determined drive to increase our national capacity to produce capital goods.
“With regard to mineral beneficiation for instance, we will set up a state diamond trader that will purchase 10% of diamonds from local producers and sell them to local cutters and producers. We are happy that De Beers has agreed to assist free of charge with management, technical skills and asset provision for a period of three years,” said Mbeki.
He said the government will look to develop programmes to facilitate investments in sectors along the supply chain for infrastructure programmes, including capital goods in information and communication technology, transport and energy.
“With regard to energy, we will also expedite our work to ensure greater reliance on nuclear-power generation, natural gas and the various forms of renewable sources of energy,” he emphasised.
Communications
“With regard to communications, I am pleased to announce that the Department of Communications together with the mobile telephone companies and Telkom are finalising plans to address call termination rates this year for the benefit of all consumers.
“In addition, Telkom will apply a special low rate for international bandwidth to 10 development call centres each employing 1 000 persons, as part of the effort to expand the BPO sector. These centres will be established in areas identified by government. The special rate will be directly comparable to those for the same service and capacity per month offered in any of the comparable countries,” he stated.
Mbeki said a variety of steps to improve competition in the economy will also be taken, among others to lower the cost of doing business and promote investment, including practical introduction of the regulatory impact assessment (RIA) system, developing high-speed national and international broadband capacity, finalising the plan to improve the capacity of the rail and port operators, and strengthening the effectiveness of South Africa’s competition authorities.
Govt won’t be bullied over taxi recap
The government will not be bullied into abandoning the taxi-recapitalisation programme, Mbeki said.
“Any attempts to undermine public order in pursuit of selfish interests will be dealt with accordingly,” he told Parliament.
The government intends to speed up the implementation of the recapitalisation project this year. It will also implement detailed plans for passenger rail and road transport, including the bus rapid transport system in the metros.
Aids
Mbeki said the government is to intensify its campaign against HIV and Aids in 2007.
It is also committing itself to improving all elements of its comprehensive approach to the pandemic, such as prevention, home-based care and treatment.
It will ensure that partnerships built over the years are strengthened, and that the “improved national comprehensive strategy” against HIV/Aids and sexually transmitted infections is finalised as soon as possible.