(Note to Editors: The following debate was delivered during a Sitting of the KZN Legislature held today)
The success or failure of KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Community Safety and Liaison department directly impacts the daily lives of millions of KZN’s residents. The Democratic Alliance (DA) supports a constructive and responsible Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) – where the department gets things right, we will acknowledge it but where there are shortcomings, we will identify them and offer practical solutions.
While the South African Police Service (SAPS) remains a national competency, this department plays a crucial role in oversight, accountability, community safety promotion and strengthening the relationship between communities and law enforcement.
The portfolio committee correctly notes that the department has intensified its oversight role over SAPS and municipal police services and has increased accountability engagements and docket audits. These positive developments deserve recognition. The department has also demonstrated a commitment to strengthening institutional capacity and community safety structures.
The real question is whether this budget will produce measurable improvements in the lives of KZN’s people.
The department’s allocation increases from R275.7million to R287.4million, representing an increase of just over 4%. While any increase is welcomed, it is important to recognise that this is largely an inflationary adjustment rather than a significant expansion of the department’s capacity.
At a time when KZN continues to battle violent crime, organised criminal syndicates, extortion rackets, illegal firearms, cable theft, gender-based violence and attacks on critical infrastructure, we must ask whether this increase is sufficient to meet the growing demands placed upon the department.
The reality on the ground tells us that communities continue to feel unsafe:
• In eThekwini, residents are increasingly concerned about violent robberies, extortion of businesses and attacks on municipal infrastructure,
• In uMgungundlovu, communities continue to raise concerns about drug-related crime and burglaries,
• In King Cetshwayo, communities face challenges associated with organised criminal activity and infrastructure vandalism, and
• In Ugu, residents regularly report concerns regarding rural policing visibility and response times.
Across KZN, communities are demanding effective action. The DA believes that fighting crime requires more than administration. It requires a comprehensive strategy that combines professional policing, effective oversight, modern technology and active community participation.
One area of concern is the reduction in funding for the EPWP Integrated Grant that supports social crime prevention volunteers. The portfolio committee notes that this allocation has declined from R5.324 million to R3.976 million. While we understand the fiscal constraints facing government, reducing resources that support community-based crime prevention initiatives sends the wrong message at a time when communities are demanding greater visibility and support.
Crime prevention cannot begin only after a crime has occurred. It must begin in our communities, with active neighbourhood structures, with empowered Community Police Forums (CPFs) and with youth intervention programmes that steer young people away from criminal activity. The DA therefore calls for stronger support for community-based safety initiatives and improved monitoring of the outcomes achieved through these programmes.
Another issue highlighted by the portfolio committee is the creation of the Office of the Ministry with an allocation of R5.582million, funded through reprioritisation from Programme 2. The DA is not opposed to ensuring that the Ministry functions effectively. However, every rand spent on administration must be justified by improved service delivery outcomes.
At a time when resources are constrained, the KZN’s public expects frontline impact. They want safer streets, stronger oversight of SAPS, quicker responses to complaints and action against corrupt officials and criminal syndicates. The establishment of new administrative structures must never come at the expense of the department’s core oversight and community safety functions.
The portfolio committee has rightly committed itself to vigorous oversight of the department. The DA strongly supports this commitment but oversight must be about measuring outcomes;
• How many recommendations were implemented?
• How many disciplinary actions followed where failures were identified?
• How many repeat offenders were brought to justice?
• How many police stations improved their performance?
• How many communities became safer?
Those are the questions that matter.
The DA’s national crime campaign, “Catch, Convict, Clean up”, recognises that South Africans have become prisoners in their own communities. It is founded on a simple principle: law-abiding citizens must never fear criminals more than criminals fear the law. To achieve this, KZN requires:
• Professional, accountable and capable policing,
• Intelligence-led operations against organised crime,
• Stronger action against extortion syndicates that are terrorising businesses and construction projects,
• Dedicated interventions against illegal firearms,
• Improved detective services and better crime intelligence capabilities, and
• Consequence management when policing failures occur.
KZN remains one of the provinces most affected by organised crime, political violence and extortion. These criminal networks undermine economic growth, discourage investment and destroy public confidence. The DA calls for stronger coordination between provincial structures, SAPS, municipal law enforcement agencies and intelligence services to combat organised criminal activity.
Technology must also become a greater force multiplier in the fight against crime. This must include:
• CCTV networks,
• Automatic number plate recognition systems,
• Drone surveillance,
• Body-worn cameras,
• Digital evidence management, and
• Real-time crime monitoring.
These tools can significantly improve policing effectiveness and accountability. Community safety in the 21st century cannot rely exclusively on 20th-century methods.
No debate on safety would be complete without addressing the scourge of GBV. Women and children continue to bear the devastating consequences of violent crime. While the committee notes additional allocations relating to GBV activists and community safety structures, these investments must produce measurable outcomes. Victims must receive support, perpetrators must be prosecuted, police responses must be professional and victim-centred and prevention efforts must reach communities before violence occurs.
CPFs remain one of the most important partnerships in crime prevention. Where they function effectively, communication, trust and reporting improve and crime prevention becomes a shared responsibility. These structures must be strengthened and supported throughout our province. KZN’s people expect:
• Progress and accountability,
• Government departments to use every rand effectively,
• Oversight to result in action,
• Leadership that places the safety of communities above bureaucracy.
The DA acknowledges the positive aspects contained within this budget. We welcome the department’s commitment to stronger oversight, to improve police accountability and to strengthen community safety structures. But more must be done to support crime prevention, combat organised crime, to protect women and children, to strengthen policing partnerships and to ensure that every programme delivers measurable results.
The DA will continue to play a constructive role within KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU). We will support initiatives that improve public safety. We will hold government accountable where shortcomings exist and we will continue advancing practical solutions that make our communities safer.