2.   STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF THE SAPS

2.1   Key departmental objectives

The point of departure adopted in determining the key departmental objectives and programmes was based on the objects of the Police Service as provided by section 205 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, which determines the powers, functions and duties of the Police.  The objects of the police service are -

Apart from the Constitution, the South African Police Service Act 1995 (Act No 68 of 1995), numerous other Acts, and the common law also provide for the powers, functions and duties of the Police.  Specific National Orders ensure that these powers, functions and duties are exercised in a uniform and efficient manner.

There are numerous statutory provisions which provide for the powers, functions and duties of the Police, which do not directly relate to the objects of the South African Police Service as set out in section 205 (3) of the Constitution, 1996. These include the administration of specific Acts such as the Arms and Ammunition Act, 1969 (Act No 75 of 1969) the Second-hand Goods Act, 1955 (Act No 23 of 1955) and the Explosives Act, 1956 (Act No 26 of 1956). Also included are administrative powers, functions and duties in terms of legislation that is administered by other departments, for example,  section 70 of the Land Bank Act, 1944 (Act No 13 of 1941), section 4 of the Performing Animal Protection Act, 1935 (Act No 24 of 1935), and the Municipal Police Service Act.

The information gathered from analyzing the different Acts and laws is set out in the table below as key departmental objectives, functions and outcomes. Key departmental objectives serve as a basis for alignment with the existing Programme Structure as set out in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.

 

Key Departmental Programmes

Key Departmental Objective

Functions

Outcome

Programme 1:

Administration

to exercise control over and manage the service in terms of structures, resources, development, administration and operations.

Minister

1.1.  To be responsible for policing, and to give account to Cabinet and Parliament

1.1.1  To determine national policing policy

Informed Cabinet and Parliament regarding policing

Adequate implementation of national policing policy

Secretariat

1.2.  To advise the Minister and perform such functions as he/she may deem necessary

Effective monitoring of policing policy

National Commissioner

1.3.  To exercise control over and manage the Service in terms of:

Effective policing

(i) Structures

(ii) Human resources

(iii) Finances

(iv) Logistics

(v) Functional administration

(vi) Management consultancy

(vii) General administration

(viii) Operations

1.4  To liase with the community and other agencies

Appropriate co-operation from the community and other agencies

1.5  To perform functions outside the Republic

Proper co-ordination between police agencies internationally

Programme 2:

Crime Prevention

to provide a safe and secure environment to the inhabitants of sa.

2.1  To control the movement of people, articles and goods

Reduced illegal movement of people, articles and goods

2.2  To regulate occupations, trade and the manufacturing of articles and substances

Reduced incidence of the contravention of established regulators

2.3  To discourage the commission of crimes against the State, citizens and their property

Reduced opportunities to commit crime

2.4  To respond to emergencies

Persons and property protected during emergencies

2.5  To serve and execute court processes and orders of both South African courts and foreign courts

Served and executed court processes and orders

2.6  To provide a Community Service Centre

Satisfied clients

Programme 3:

Operational Response Services

to ensure peace and stability.

3.1  To police public gatherings and demonstrations, and major events

Public gatherings and demonstrations conducted orderly

3.2  To restore public order

Normalisation of public activity

Programme 4:

Detective Service and Crime Intelligence

to ensure the proper investigation of criminal cases, and the provision of intelligence.

4.1  To gather evidence in respect of crimes under investigation

Increased number of cases to court as a result of effective evidence gathering

4.2  To ensure accused persons and witnesses are present at criminal trials

Reduced incidence of cases postponed as a result of the absence of accused persons and witnesses at court

4.3  To present evidence during trials

Presentation of evidence during trials

4.4  To gather and provide intelligence with a view to detecting crimes against the Government, crimes aimed at disrupting public order, and crimes aimed at destabilising democracy

Preventing crime and enhancing successful prosecution

4.5  To provide intelligence on criminal activities of criminal gangs and enterprises involved in organized crime

Reduced incidence of organized crime, and a higher conviction rate

Programme 5:

Protection Services

to protect very important persons and property.

5.1  To protect Presidents, Ex-Presidents and prominent people

Adequate protection for Presidents, Ex-Presidents and prominent people

2.2 Key Strategic Focus Areas

2.2.1 A National Security Policy was developed in order for the SAPS to fulfil its mandate as described above. The policy is aimed at integrating crime prevention and crime combating activities with socio-economic upliftment. To implement this Policy three phases were identified: A short-term stabilization phase (2000 - 2003), a medium-term normalization phase (2000-2005), and a long-term socio-economic development phase (2000-2020). The first two phases are the primary responsibility of the SAPS in cooperation with other role-players, but in the socio-economic development phase the SAPS plays only a supporting and advisory role to departments in the Social Cluster.

2.2.2 The National Security Policy is being co-ordinated by the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster. The main objective of the JCPS is to focus their endeavours and resources jointly in addressing the incidence of crime, public disorder, inefficiency in the justice system, and all aspects of society that impact negatively on development.

2.2.3 In order to realise this, the JCPS Cluster have identified several strategic interventions which are categorised under the following themes - 

The table below illustrates how the SAPS and other Departments jointly contribute in achieving and implementing these strategic interventions.

Priority

Activities

1.Development / Transformation of the Cluster Departments Programme

1.1 Integrated Justice System (IJS)

Architecture:

Establishing a sustainable architecture function for the IJS

Infrastructure:

The providing basic IT infrastructure to enable the IJS

Virtual Private Network:

Establishing a secure network with sufficient bandwidth for the online systems of the IJS (responsibility of SITA)

Identification Services:

Establishing an automated identification system (AFIS, NPIS, DNA)

Integrated Case Management System:

Establishing an integrated system -

  • for managing cases, persons (offenders) and exhibits throughout the system and its department; and
  • which provides for workflow management, resource scheduling and event notification

(Access to CAS/CRIM, docket management, detention control, exhibit management, systems integration)

Business Intelligence:

Establishing an automated system to provide critical information in order to manage and measure the IJS

1.2  Information / technology

Installing satellite tracking systems in all SAPS aircrafts

Linking IT systems of the departments functioning at ports of entry, namely Home Affairs, SAPS and SARS

1.3  Joint cluster training

Presenting joint training in respect of operations, and crime intelligence gathering and analysis

1.4  Transformation

Eliminating racism

Improving the morale of members

2. Crime Prevention and Combating Programme

2.1  High-crime areas (Stability phase)

Improving the quality of intelligence profiles for the priority stations

Continuing with operations in hot spots as part of Operation Crackdown

2.2   High-crime areas (Normalisation phase)

Completing intelligence assessments for priority stations

Implementing social crime prevention

Establishing 50 Crime Prevention units

Introducing Crime Prevention Course: Level 1

Establishing air -supported reaction forces in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape and Eastern Cape

2.3   Community involvement

Establishing a single structure between communities and the departments of the JCPS Cluster

The launching of a major community mobilisation programme in the 145 priority police stations’ areas in cooperation with community structures to -

  • provide crime prevention guidelines; and
  • set up crime prevention partnerships

Increasing the capacity of the reservists in the SAPS by 30 000

2.4  Organised crime

Enhancing intelligence profiles on organised criminal groups through a joint effort by the intelligence community

Enhancing the databases on drugs, DNA, firearms and documents

Establishing over 300 additional organised crime task teams to deal with syndicates

Transforming over 500 sub-specialized investigation units into only two types of specialized units, namely -

  • Organised Crime Units, and
  • Serious and Violent Crime Units

2.5  Border control and organised crime

Incorporating the Border Police, Home Affairs and SARS into the organised crime task groups to combat organised crime at ports of entry

Developing procedures regarding the control of illegal persons and goods over borderlines.

Including SANDF units in organised crime task teams for conducting border control operations

Developing a Strategic Plan for the control of borders

2.6  Corruption

Eliminating corruption

2.7  Crimes against women and children

Improving service delivery by the SAPS to all victims of crime

Improving services provided by FCSU (Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit) to all victims of abuse

Improving services provided by the SAPS regarding domestic violence and the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, 1998 (DVA)

Developing an interdepartmental strategy for the prevention of rape and sexual offences

The prevention of the unauthorised removing of women and minors abroad

Implementing the Safer Schools Project in priority stations’ areas

Implementing Project Women in priority stations’ areas

2.8 Special operational concepts

Gang violence

Arrest of wanted persons (Phases 1 & 2)

3. Security Programme

Rapid deployment stability force

Taxi violence

Urban terrorism:

Activate and strengthen the national implementation of Operation Lancer

The conceptualisation, establishment and activation of a national operation based on the same model as OPS Lancer to determine, monitor and neutralize extremist right-wing activities

Disaster management

2.2.4 Linked to the National Security Policy, the SAPS developed key strategic priorities and strategies to address the high levels of crime and violence.

  1. The Department has set four key operational priorities for the medium-term. The first of these is to combat organized crime, focusing on crimes relating to drugs, firearms trafficking, vehicle theft and hijacking, corrupt public officials, and organized commercial crime. The second priority revolves around South Africa’s unacceptably high levels of serious and violent crime. The Department has developed strategies to -

  2. The third priority focuses on developing strategies to reduce the incidence of crimes against women and children, while also improving the investigation and prosecution of these crimes. The fourth priority is to improve service delivery at local level. 

  3. The Department has also identified two key organisational priorities for the medium-term. The first organisational priority is budget and resource management which focuses on optimising the balance between personnel and operational expenditure, as well as optimising the application of physical resources. The second priority, human resource management,  focuses on - 

  4. The Strategic Plan follows a multidisciplinary approach that directs managerial, human, and logistical resources to all areas where crime is disproportionately high. The Department has identified approximately 145 areas accounting for more than 50 per cent of serious crimes committed. 

2.3 Resource Requirements 

In 1998/99, Administration accounted for 27,2 per cent of the total budget, Crime prevention 45,5 per cent and Detective services and crime intelligence 19,2 per cent. As a result of structural change to the budget and reprioritisation, these proportions reach 27,6 per cent, 44,6 per cent and 20,0 per cent respectively by 2004/05. The budget proportion spent on Operational response services and Protection services will remain unchanged over time.

These changes are consistent with policy developments and priority areas. 

The management of the Department took a decision to maintain a 78/22 split between personnel and non-personnel spending of the budget. To this end, the relative share of personnel will decline significantly from 81,5 per cent in 1998/99 to 77,0 per cent in 2004/05. This decline shifts additional resources for spending on inventories, equipment and land and buildings. For the seven years under review, capital spending will grow by an annual average of nearly 10 per cent. 

These developments will be supported through the allocation of additional amounts of R892,6 million for 2002/03 and R1 741,3 million for 2003/04 relative to the 2001 Budget. These will be used to facilitate: 

The medium-term expenditure allocations per programme are as follow:

Key departmental Objective

2002/03

R’000

2003/04

R’000

2004/05

R’000

1. Administration

5 401 712

5 820 836

6 337 817

2. Crime Prevention

8 346 409

9 285 785

10 231 737

3.Operational Response Services

1 175 129

1 264 486

1 356 373

4.  Detective Services and Crime Intelligence

3 904 474

4 243 521

4 597 277

5.  Protection Services

375 995

379 624

410 853

Total

19 203 719

20 994 252

22 934 057

 

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