To download Ms Maniniso’s soundbite, click on this link: https://iono.fm/e/1657954
19 March 2026
Chairperson of the session, Mr Mothapo,
Chairpersons of Portfolio and Select Committees,
Members of the media and stakeholders
Good Afternoon,
Re-vetting of Police
For a long time, we have been advocating for the implementation of lifestyle audits as a key measure to detect fraud and corruption, and we welcome the President’s announcement that the State Security Agency will re-vet the senior management of the South African Police Service and metro police departments and that the vetting process will include lifestyle audits.
We believe that these measures, together with the implementation of the Madlanga Commission findings and the Ad hoc Committee’s investigation and report, will go a long way toward fighting corruption and ensuring ethical leadership that will restore trust in the police service. The restoration of trust is of the utmost importance for our citizens.
Just last week, the committee met with the SIU and the DPCI to receive a briefing on the investigations in the criminal justice sector. Through this engagement, it became apparent that the main issues are in respect of procurement, tenders, records and budget management.
We were also concerned about maladministration in the Master’s Office, and as a committee, we agreed to oversee whether these matters have been resolved and to hold all departments accountable for consequence management and disciplinary processes, as well as criminal prosecutions.
We also received the briefing on the recent investigations into the Department of Home Affairs, in which the SIU uncovered organised corruption in which officials sold visas, permits and permanent residence documents.
We welcome the 278 criminal referrals to the NPA for prosecution. As a follow-up to this engagement, we will meet with the NPA to ensure that the matters presented by the SIU and DPCI are successfully prosecuted and result in convictions. We will continue to oversee the vetting and lifestyle audits during our oversight activities.
Deployment of Soldiers
For a long time, we have been concerned about gang violence in the Western Cape and in other provinces, as well as illegal mining, and we welcome the President’s announcement, which is a direct response to calls from the community to deploy the South African National Defence Force to the Western Cape and Gauteng to support the police in fighting gang violence and illegal mining.
We are pleased that after the SONA debate, this deployment has now been extended to other provinces, including the Eastern Cape, Free State and Northwest. The deployment will help restore peace to troubled and violated communities. Our police have for too long become victims of criminals while they needed to observe legislative requirements instead of dealing aggressively with criminals who have no regard whatsoever for other people’s human rights.
We want restoration of peace in our communities, and we want decisive action on drugs and those who facilitate the scourge. The committee has emphasised the importance of cooperation, collaboration and partnership of all law enforcement agencies, including community policing forums, to combat crime and to bring peace to our communities, and we will continue to oversee the deployment of the SANDF in provinces. As you would know, the NCOP has delegates from all nine provinces. So all members of the NCOP will bring issues that they see from their provinces to the NCOP as part of oversight.
Gang Violence
Gang violence directly affects our children who are recruited by gang members and, due to gang violence, are unable to attend school and often become addicted to drugs, and this is devastating to families.
Gang violence requires a multisectoral approach, involving communities, law enforcement and the SANDF to address this scourge of violence head-on and to ensure that our communities are safe. To this end, we will ensure that through our oversight visits and engagement with SAPS and the SANDF through their Annual Performance Plans and budgets, the initiative is set up to dismantle gangsterism and restore families.
We encourage the SANDF and SAPS to work together to rid our communities of these criminal syndicates. We also encourage the police to work hand in hand with the National Prosecuting Authority to ensure that these syndicates are successfully prosecuted and convicted. We now know that dealing with crime and building safer communities is a societal responsibility.
Firearms remain the dominant weapon in murders that stood at 2 561 murders in the third quarter of 2025/26 and account for 40% of all murders.
Firearm-related murders are concentrated in Gauteng at 668, Western Cape with 644 and KZN with 612. We need the SAPS to do more in respect of removing and destroying illegal firearms because every illegal firearm removed from communities reduces the chances for murder, robbery and gender-based violence and femicide in our communities. Communities themselves also have a role to play in reporting and handing over illegal firearms to the police.
Firearms and Crime Prevention
Given the high number of illegal firearms in circulation, we welcome the President’s announcement to tackle gun crime by streamlining legislation and regulations on licencing, possessing and trading in firearms and ammunition and by increasing the enforcement of existing gun laws.
All efforts to fight organised crime, gangsterism and the ownership of illegal firearms require a proper legislative and regulatory framework as well as sufficient resources and skills to effectively fight crime of this nature. For this reason, we welcome the recruitment this year of 5 500 additional police officers and believe that more trained, visible officers in our communities will also go a long way toward restoring safety and trust.
The committee will be responsive to the needs of citizens in the provinces we serve by ensuring oversight and accountability across all departments within the Justice and Crime Prevention Cluster, restoring safety and trust in all communities. Community public policing is for all, and law enforcement is for those who are deployed or working in agencies that enforce the law.
I thank you.
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