New police minister promises ‘tough’ action to bring ‘intolerable’ crime levels under control

South Africa’s new police minister, Senzo Mchunu, has promised an overhaul of the police management system as part of a “decisive” programme aimed at bringing the country’s “intolerable” crime levels under control.

Mchunu, appointed to the ministry as part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s unity cabinet, has also promised “tough” measures to deal with the sharp increase in contact crimes including murder, rape, hijacking and kidnappings.

Mchunu told a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday that crime levels were on the increase across the country, but differed in nature from province to province and this would have to be taken into consideration in implementing the national crime prevention strategy.

Urgent interventions would take place to deal with an increase in gang violence in the Western Cape, parts of Nelson Mandela Bay and Gauteng, while internal measures would be stepped up to prevent the flow of weapons from police stations into the hands of criminals.

Mchunu said the construction mafias operating around the country would continue to receive “priority attention” to deal with its effect on the industry and the broader economy.

“Genuine quests for economic transformation can be handled through the correct  channels and using existing policy prescripts, without resorting to hijacking construction sites and using extortion to source business,” he said.

On a policy level, Mchunu said the police ministry would prioritise amendments to the South African Police Service Act because it was “outdated” and needed to be amended “in line with modern day crime fighting and prevention demands”.

A national policy on policing, which took into account provincial needs and priorities, would be developed, along with a set of minimum norms and standards for police stations, which would assist in ensuring they had the resources they needed to serve people.

“Central to our strategy is the urgent need to professionalise the South African Police Service [SAPS] and instil positive ethical values, patriotism and the understanding that the primary duty of a police officer is to always serve and protect the public,” Mchunu said.

Uprooting corruption and removing corrupt police officials would “remain a top priority”.

“Misconduct by SAPS members will not be tolerated and action will be taken. We want to change the negative perceptions of our police officers. People must respect police officers, have confidence in them and feel safe in their midst,” the new police minister said.

He promised an investment in technology to assist the police in their ability to do their work, along with improved training, refresher courses and new vehicles and other resources.

Budgets would be revised to increase crime intelligence capacity, along with improved training of operatives and oversight on operations of the divisions, which Mchunu described as the “backbone” of policing.

Firearms controls would be tightened to clamp down on the number of guns on the streets.

“There are too many guns out there in the streets and firearms remain the weapon of choice in many violent crimes. We are intensifying our efforts to remove illegal firearms from our streets and ensuring improved gun control measures,” he said.

These would include a review of legislation governing the private security industry.

Mchunu said those who attacked police officers whether on or off duty were “declaring war on the state and the people” and would face the full might of the law.

The new minister expressed his confidence in the national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, and his team.

“We are cautions on this but hope that they will continue to work hard to earn that

confidence. We will give the national commissioner enough room to exercise his

duties, whilst we exercise oversight and provide leadership,” he said.

Mchunu will present his budget and his ministry’s programme for the year to parliament on Tuesday.