Parliament, Monday, 16 April 2018 – The Portfolio Committee on Police will this week have budget hearings with the departments falling within the Police portfolio.
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Francois Beukman, said that the committee will focus on lifestyle audits for senior members of the South African Police Service (Saps), the allocation of resources to the various provinces and crime hotspots, the Crime Intelligence turn-around strategy and alleged corruption in the Saps procurement division.
The management of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) and the Civilian Secretariat for Police will also appear before the committee during the hearings that will start on Tuesday and end on Friday this week.
The committee has also invited police unions, civil society and anti-corruption non-governmental organisations on Tuesday to give their views on the SAPS budget for the 2018/9 financial year. “It is critical to get the input of the broader community and stakeholders on the performance of the police and crime-fighting agencies. Parliament should take cognisance of the input of the public during the budget hearing process. Gaps in service delivery should be identified and communities that are under siege by criminals should be able to articulate their concerns,” Mr Beukman said.
Mr Beukman further said the committee believes that stability in police management is vital to ensure effective crime detection and investigation. “It is the first budget hearing of the new National Commissioner and we expect that resources should be prioritised towards the core function of the Saps and tangible plans should be put on the table to ensure that violent crime is tackled head-on,” Mr Beukman emphasised.
“Following various new appointments at the top level of SAPS, it is essential that the new Deputy National Commissioners and Divisional Commissioners ensure that low targets and weak performance is replaced with high performance target and consistent performance at divisional and station level,” he said.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MR FRANCOIS BEUKMAN.
Media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the media officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
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E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
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