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Parliament, Cape Town Honourable Speaker, Honourable Deputy Speaker, His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa, His Excellency, the Deputy President Paul Mashatile, Cabinet Colleagues, Deputy Ministers, Cassel Mathale and Polly Boshielo, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Honourable Members, National Commissioner of Police, General Fannie Masemola, Leadership of various stakeholders in the sector and civil society, Fellow South Africans, It is a great honour for me to present my maiden budget speech to the National Assembly, as the newly appointed Minister of Police. We have received a comprehensive briefing on the safety and security portfolio, following engagements with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA), the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and the South African Police Service (SAPS). The Ministry convened a media briefing yesterday, where we took the public into confidence on the Ministry’s priorities for the seventh Administration and today, we will outline how we intend to effectively use the budgets allocated to ensure that we achieve our targets. BUDGET Honourable Members, I now present to you the SAPS Budget Vote 28 for the 2024/ 25 financial year which is R113,597 billion; while the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (Vote 21) has been allocated a budget of R155, 964 million for the 2024/25 financial year and IPID (Vote 24), a budget of R 370,557 million. Several aspects have stood out, in respect of where we need to turn our focus, to ensure that we build safer communities as per the constitutional mandate and the National Development Plan 2030; I will briefly outline the priorities for the 2024/2025 financial year. BUILDING CAPACITY To enhance police visibility, improve community responsiveness, detection rate, crime intelligence capability and to build public confidence in the police service, we are committed to expanding our workforce. Over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period, we plan to recruit additional members to bolster our ranks. This strategic expansion is crucial for addressing the growing demands of our communities and ensuring that we can effectively combat crime across the country. During the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 budget periods, additional funding allowed us to enlist 10,000 employees respectively. For the 2024/2025 financial year, this additional funding will enable us to appoint another 10,000 police trainees, covering personnel losses through natural attrition and facilitating workforce growth. Enhancing safety protocols and measures to safeguard police officials in the line of duty is vital for ensuring their well-being and operational effectiveness. By implementing comprehensive training programs, providing advanced protective equipment, and establishing clear operational guidelines, the SAPS can significantly reduce risks faced by officers during their duties. Increased focus on mental health support and regular safety assessments will also contribute to a safer working environment. IPID is currently navigating its way through ensuring that it is adequately staffed to carry out its mandate. The department continues to analyse its organisational structure, which resulted in the extensive review of the current functions, re-prioritising and re-grouping of the functions in respective units to ensure the optimal utilisation of the limited resources. IPID has a number of recruitment processes underway in respect of various positions; Deputy Minister Mathale will advise the house on further plans by IPID. The budgets of the departments in the portfolio need to reflect a proper alignment between policing needs and priorities, personnel deployment, upskilling of critical personnel and operations. Strengthening specialised crime detection capabilities is essential for effectively addressing cybercrime, organised crime, commercial crime, and corruption. Enhanced training, advanced investigative tools, and dedicated task forces will empower the SAPS to tackle these complex and high-impact criminal activities more efficiently. By capacitating specialised units, the SAPS can ensure targeted, expert responses to specific crime types, leading to higher detection rates and successful prosecutions. This approach will not only disrupt criminal networks but also restore public confidence in law enforcement. REDUCING VIOLENT CRIME, GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, AND FEMICIDE One of our top priorities is to reduce violent crime, gender-based violence, and femicide. We will place a strong emphasis on community mobilisation to increase police visibility through strategic partnerships. To achieve these objectives, we have adopted the whole-of-government and whole-of-society framework, guided by the integrated crime and violence prevention strategy. This approach promotes an integrated, developmental, collaborative, knowledge-based, and evidence-based strategy for preventing crime and violence in South Africa. Through the implementation of the increased crime prevention and combating action plan, we aim to reduce the percentage of contact crimes reported by 14.5% over the medium term. Additionally, we expect the detection rate for contact crimes against women to improve to over 71%, and the detection rate for contact crimes against children to exceed 65%. These efforts will be primarily implemented through the Detective Services programme, which has been allocated R71.3 billion over the medium term. The Visible Policing programme, which weighs at least 52% of the total allocation of the budget will receive an allocation of R189.7 billion over the medium term. The proliferation of firearms requires an urgent and a dedicated focus. Evidence shows that most murders are committed using illegal firearms most of which were previously legal firearms. There are just so many firearm-linked crimes in society and the SAPS need to improve its own management of firearms in its possession. MODERNISATION INITIATIVES We recognise the importance of modernising our police service to meet the challenges of the 21st century and beyond. Our modernisation initiatives include upgrading ICT infrastructure, improving connectivity, and deploying mobile technologies. These technological advancements will enhance our ability to respond swiftly and effectively to criminal activities. An amount of R2,845 billion has been set aside for the 2024/25 financial year for this purpose within the administration programme. COMBATING CRIMES IMPACTING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY We understand the critical importance of protecting our economy from criminal activities. Economic infrastructure task teams, supported by organised crime investigation capabilities, will focus on combating crimes such as illegal mining, infrastructure-related crimes, and extortion in all business sectors particularly the construction sector. Specialised capabilities, including the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, forensic services, and crime intelligence, will collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders to address these issues effectively. Efforts to tackle organised crime, money laundering, and terror financing will continue in line with recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force. There is an urgent need for a more strategic and consolidated response to organised crime which imposes a real existential threat to our economy and democracy. These initiatives will be implemented through the Detective Services programme and the Crime Intelligence programme, with respective budgets of R71.3 billion and R15.1 billion over the medium term. Increasing efforts to identify and neutralise gangs and criminal groups involved in drug-related crime is vital for restoring safety and order in affected communities. Targeting these criminal networks will disrupt the supply chains and operations that fuel violence and instability. Enhanced intelligence gathering, dedicated task forces, and collaborative operations with other law enforcement agencies will strengthen the SAPS’s ability to combat organized crime effectively. By prioritising these efforts, the SAPS can significantly reduce drug-related incidents and protect vulnerable populations. DEPARTMENTAL SPENDING AND CORE PROGRAMMES Our departmental spending over the medium term will focus on core programmes, with Visible Policing, accounting for more than 52% of the total Vote in 2024/25. The Detective Services programme also holds significant weight, accounting for more than 20% of the budget. There is an urgent need to have a relook at the budget allocation for detective services and crime intelligence budgets. Policing is a labour-intensive function, necessitating personal engagement between the police and the citizens of our country. Consequently, personnel-related expenditure is the primary cost driver, contributing to more than 80% of the Vote. We will continue to deploy the number of members that can be accommodated within the confines of our allocated compensation budget. The Civilian Secretariat for Police Service is currently processing amendments to the SAPS Act, which was informed by the 1993 Interim Constitution. The Secretariat is also finalising the National Policing Policy, which will serve as an overarching framework for policing and will accommodate the provincial needs and priorities in line with section 206 (1) and (2) of the Constitution. Deputy Minister Boshielo will elaborate further on the work of the Secretariat. With the plans we have outlined, we are confident that the budget allocated to the departments within the portfolio will achieve the intended objectives, and that members of the house will be in support thereof. Honourable Members, this budget represents our unwavering dedication to building a safer South Africa. With your support, we will continue to enhance the capacity and capabilities of the SAPS, modernise our operations, and work collaboratively with communities and stakeholders to combat crime and ensure the safety and security of all South Africans. I thank you.
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