Parliament, Wednesday, 23 October 2023 – The Portfolio Committee on Police has today unanimously adopted an oversight framework it will roll out to ensure a more focused and intense monitoring of interventions to put an end to the rising tide of extortions in the country. The adoption of this framework demonstrates the National Assembly’s commitment to ending extortions and creating a conducive environment for businesses to prosper and to ensure a safe and secure South Africa.
“It is important that all political parties represented in the committee agreed to this framework, as it will enable the committee to heighten and focus its oversight mandate over the Multi-disciplinary Extortions Intervention Plan by the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS). The agreement shows that the NA is a listening and responsive institution and has the people at heart,” said Mr Ian Cameron, the Chairperson of the committee.
As part of this framework, the committee will meet representatives from seven extortion typologies identified by NATJOINTS – construction, transport security, mining, business sectors, vulnerable communities, and local government structures. “The main reason behind meeting stakeholders directly affected by extortions is the realisation that to overcome the scourge requires a community-wide approach. Also, understanding the lived experiences of those directly affected by extortionists will assist the committee in proposing innovative interventions to the extortions,” Mr Cameron emphasised.
The committee will also meet with security experts, civil society organisations, and academics on the factors that enable this crime and measures that could be implemented to combat extortion. Inputs and cooperation from experts and civil society are essential to ensure the success of the proposed solutions.
One critical shortcoming of the NATJOINTS plan presented to the committee was its silence on how the plan will be funded. A well-resourced intervention plan is necessary to ensure the deployment of skilled officers with the capabilities necessary to effectively fight the current scourge. In line with this, the committee will meet with the National Treasury to ascertain viable funding models towards ensuring a fully capacitated mandate.
“The committee is cognisant of the current fiscal pressures facing the country but is also aware of the debilitating impact of extortion to critical sectors such as the construction sector, which should be a critical driver of economic development,” Mr Cameron emphasised.
Collaborations will also be a key foundation of the committee’s oversight work. The committee places a premium value on joint efforts and will seek to work with the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Development to ensure that gaps and challenges within the witness protection service offered by the National Prosecuting Authority are addressed. The committee is cognisant of the clandestine environment in which extortions thrive and witness protection might be an effective counter to the secrecy exerted by extortionists.
Of critical importance will be the need to visit areas greatly affected by extortions to assess the impact of interventions being implemented. As a result, the committee intends to visit the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces in January 2025 to follow the money and assess whether interventions are making the necessary impact.
While the committee is alive to the possibility that open meetings have the potential to expose operational details that can derail counter-efforts against extortions, it has decided against holding closed meetings, which are allowed by the Constitution and parliamentary rules. This is intended to facilitate public participation, accountability and openness. To counter the risk, the committee has agreed that it will be necessary to direct specific questions to the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, as its members have the necessary security clearance to handle sensitive information.
The committee believes that this approach offers a clear, structured and detailed path forward, emphasising continuous improvement and stakeholder collaboration. The committee will table the framework to the National Assembly for concurrence and support.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MR IAN CAMERON.
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