1. MEC and Members, National government’s anti-crime initiative, Operation Fiela, which shifted its focus to include malls in the Western Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, has been lauded as this helps during the festive seasons.
2. The appointments of the additional forensic analysts will augment and improve operations at laboratories. These interventions put in place will increase the efficiency and output of the laboratories.
3. Government’s vision to take control of the service and the streets of our country so that our people can find peace should not be hallow words, but requires clear and decisive action. Upholding the constitution, ensuring community safety and the police service’s integrity must be foremost and not be compromised.
4. I want to thank our men and women in blue. The challenges still facing them is fuelled by our high crime rate and the slowness of government in addressing increasing rates in suburban crime, farm attacks, hijackings and heists.
5. Surveillance footage on social media shows gangs of intruders armed like commandos now moving through communities with impunity and terrorising everyone in their wake. The working together of police and communities as a team to fight crime at any level brings negative comments from human rights activists who have a lot to say about the community acting like vigilante militia patrolling the streets in the name of neighbourhood patrols and CPF groups.
6. The challenge is for government to listen carefully to the communities aside from race, colour or creed. People are now mobilising as South Africans who are tired of poor management and injustice. Society is far more in control than may be perceived and their networking does not rely on government intervention. The sentiments are being expressed that SAPS management needs to partner with communities not the other way round if we are to succeed in our plight going forward. The one thing that’s missing is the role government in strengthening and paying CPFs. Hon MEC crime watch NGOs should also be funded through the EPWP incentive grant of R1,4 million.
7. The negative perception of SAPS can be allayed by appointing suitably experienced and qualified officers to key positions. Those officers that have taken the initiative to self-fund their studies to educate themselves should be rightly given authoritative My challenge to you HON MEC, do a few pilots and see the reversal of crime. Let this be the motivator to appoint on merit, 22 years  into democracy with all the law and order challenges we face.
   Many police men and women are overlooked for promotion, morale is low, poor decisions and bad planning all contribute to underperforming stations. Police vehicles are constantly breaking down or in poor condition so we cannot speak about efficiency.
   The allegations of corruption against high ranking officers has impacted on the morale of police officers, which impacts on crime fighting. We need to remedy this situation, HON MEC.
   As much as such allegations have to be proven, the stain on the force remains. Officers must have a spotlessly clean slate as role models and custodians of the law.
8. HON MEC, the MF has faith in you to turn things around within the budget. The MF supports this budget of R204,4 million, as well as the R1,4 million EPWP grant.

Thank You.

Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi

Minority Front  MPL KZN Legislature