Damning report reveals SAPS shambles
2 July 2009, 07:52
By Anel Lewis
A damning Auditor-General's report has depicted a police service in disarray as it struggles to implement a sector policing policy that has been in draft form since 2002.
Acting Police Commissioner Tim Williams and other senior South African Police Service members were grilled in Parliament on Wednesday about their ineffective management and for allowing sector policing to be implemented for seven years without a formal national policy.
The high-level police delegation was asked to respond to the Auditor-General report, which revealed problems ranging from inconsistent sector policing to police officers driving without valid driving licences and a shortage of bullet-proof vests.
But Parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), was so dissatisfied with responses that the meeting was abruptly suspended.
Scopa chair Themba Godi said the committee reserved the right to recall any of the delegation to answer questions in the future. "This is not a good show that the hearing had to be stopped because you are not prepared."
He suggested that having a leadership in an acting capacity could impact on the SAPS's service delivery.
Williams replaced Jackie Selebi, who was placed on special leave in 2007 when he heard he was to be charged with corruption.
One of the biggest concerns for Scopa was the lack of an approved policy for sector policing since the draft policy was first mooted in 2002.
"We just don't have the numbers to implement sector policing throughout the country," admitted Williams, when asked why the draft policy had not yet been formalised at the time of the audit in 2007.
"We can't back up the approach with the numbers."
According to the Auditor-General's report, the effectiveness of sector policing, which involves the building of relationships between the police and the community to prevent crime, is "largely dependent" on the allocation of sufficient human resources. At the time of the audit, there were inconsistencies in the implementation of sector policing and allocation of resources.
Divisional Commissioner Arno Lamoer said the policy had remained in draft form as it was not possible to have a "one size fits all" approach to sector policing for the whole country.
In draft form, the policy could still be reviewed as required. Sector policing was in place at 76 percent of the 169 stations identified as being in critical need of crime prevention strategies.
Most of the stations were in previously disadvantaged areas, he said.
The draft policy would be finalised by the end of September. But Scopa committee member Narend Singh questioned how sector policing could be effective if it had remained a draft policy for seven years.
A damning Auditor-General's report has depicted a police service in disarray as it struggles to implement a sector policing policy that has been in draft form since 2002.
Acting Police Commissioner Tim Williams and other senior South African Police Service members were grilled in Parliament on Wednesday about their ineffective management and for allowing sector policing to be implemented for seven years without a formal national policy.
The high-level police delegation was asked to respond to the Auditor-General report, which revealed problems ranging from inconsistent sector policing to police officers driving without valid driving licences and a shortage of bullet-proof vests.
But Parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa), was so dissatisfied with responses that the meeting was abruptly suspended.
Scopa chair Themba Godi said the committee reserved the right to recall any of the delegation to answer questions in the future. "This is not a good show that the hearing had to be stopped because you are not prepared."
He suggested that having a leadership in an acting capacity could impact on the SAPS's service delivery.
Williams replaced Jackie Selebi, who was placed on special leave in 2007 when he heard he was to be charged with corruption.
One of the biggest concerns for Scopa was the lack of an approved policy for sector policing since the draft policy was first mooted in 2002.
"We just don't have the numbers to implement sector policing throughout the country," admitted Williams, when asked why the draft policy had not yet been formalised at the time of the audit in 2007.
"We can't back up the approach with the numbers."
According to the Auditor-General's report, the effectiveness of sector policing, which involves the building of relationships between the police and the community to prevent crime, is "largely dependent" on the allocation of sufficient human resources. At the time of the audit, there were inconsistencies in the implementation of sector policing and allocation of resources.
Divisional Commissioner Arno Lamoer said the policy had remained in draft form as it was not possible to have a "one size fits all" approach to sector policing for the whole country.
In draft form, the policy could still be reviewed as required. Sector policing was in place at 76 percent of the 169 stations identified as being in critical need of crime prevention strategies.
Most of the stations were in previously disadvantaged areas, he said.
The draft policy would be finalised by the end of September. But Scopa committee member Narend Singh questioned how sector policing could be effective if it had remained a draft policy for seven years.
- This article was originally published on page 11 of The Star on July 02, 2009
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