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Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, Gauteng
His Excellency, The President of the Republic of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa; Good morning, Sanibonani, Dumelang Receive our safety and security greetings this morning, on behalf of the men and women in blue across the country who remain resilient and resolute; in creating a safe environment for all and building business confidence while serving and protecting fellow South Africans. The South African Police Service expresses deep appreciation to, His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa, for honouring the invitation to address this important summit; that is aimed at expanding policing potential, to directly address the growing crime challenges of South Africa, as a developing nation. Mr President, your presence in this summit elevates the subject of safety and security to the country’s priority pedestal. This therefore demands the speedy implementation of the ‘whole of government’ and ‘whole of society’ approach in the fight against crime. We equally extend gratitude to the Premier, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, MECs, Mayor, and all distinguished guests and delegates from organised labour, business community, academia and recognised research institutions; for accepting the invitation to this significant gathering that is addressing a subject that touches the hearts and minds of South Africans both young and old. We further acknowledge and appreciate the pledge of support and cooperation, in the planned summit deliberations that will unfold in the next three days; in achieving and realising Efficiency in Action: Optimising South Africa’s Policing Potential which is in line with the visions contained in Chapter 12 of the National Development Plan (NDP) titled “Building Safer Communities”, which reads: “In 2030, people living in South Africa feel safe at home, at school and at work and they enjoy a community life free of fear. The levels of crime in South Africa necessitate reflection on current policing approaches and the development of more effective methods for the South African Police Service (SAPS) to address crime. This summit intends to bring together experts and practitioners from various departments and industries to discuss critical matters and to identify approaches that would make policing more efficient. Esteemed delegates, the outcome of the progressive internal crime fighting discussions led by the Minister of Police, Mr Senzo Mchunu, resulted in the hosting of this pivotal policing summit. We therefore, have full confidence in the collective wisdom from the summit selective speakers and delegates and we are ready to embrace the conference resolutions that will deliver an improved dimension of new generation policing. The inclusive approach and the involvement of Business, Research and Academic institutions, including Community Policing Forum and the House of Traditional Leaders amongst others; must devise improved strategies in dealing decisively with serious and violent crimes including Murder, Attempted Murder, Robbery Aggravating and Crime against women and children to mention a few. Ladies and gentleman, we certainly believe that the delegates will expand on the selected topics and engage robustly and progressively in reaching implementable resolutions within the limited funding resources. This Summit serves as a platform to engage in meaningful dialogue, exchange innovative ideas and develop effective strategies to combat crime, strengthen community relationships and enhance policing practices. Mr President, the discussion points will be directed under the following topics:
Your Excellency, we are encouraged by the overwhelming response and support from all sectors in the hosting of the Summit. We all agree that it is crucial and necessary for the SAPS to embrace change. We are confident that the deliberations will contribute positively towards the improved delivery of service to our communities and further improve the country’s crime picture. Ladies and gentlemen the Crime Statistics of the 3rd quarter of the last financial year (01 October 2024 – 31 December 2024) recorded a downward trend and a decrease in a number of crime categories including the serious and violent crime categories.
Furthermore our countrywide high density Operation Shanela continues to yield positive results in the fight against crime. To date, police have arrested more than 1,2 million people for serious and violent crimes including, murder, attempted murder and rape amongst others. Mr President, our efforts of dealing decisively with the proliferation of illegal firearms is also in full force, on a weekly basis we confiscate over 100 firearms during operation shanela. To this end over 279 000 firearms have been destroyed in the past six years during our bi annual firearms destruction processes. Distinguished delegates, we have got no doubt that, the outcomes of the summit, will improve the crime landscape of the country and equally improve public confidence in the work of the police. We stand united in our commitment to address the evolving challenges in law enforcement and to shape a safer, more secure future for all South Africans. Two weeks ago, we held a strategic session on resourcing for high contact crime reduction, empowering the Top 30+5 police stations which did not perform well in our latest crime statistics. Resourcing within the SAPS is a critical issue affecting the organisation’s ability to effectively combat crime, ensure public safety and maintain law and order. Mr President, in closing allow me to reflect on the Ministerial Strategic Business Partnership Dinner that we hosted last night with the business community. The discussions and significant pledges received from Business, will yield significant results in improving the policing infrastructure and resources towards a common objective of creating safer communities and building business confidence. Let us seize this opportunity to learn from one another, strengthen partnerships and build a legacy of effective, responsive and compassionate policing. I thank you
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