Keynote address by Mpumalanga Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe delivered at the MEC’s Excellence Awards for the police stations held in Secunda, Graceland
02 September 2011
Programme Director, the funny man Mr David Kau
Our host, Govan Mbeki Local Municipality Executive Mayor Cllr Lindi Masina
Executive Mayor of Gert Sibande District, Cllr Kgotso Motloung
Mpumalanga SAPS Commissioner Lt-General Thulani Ntobela
All SAPS senior managers present here
DSSL HOD Thulani Sibuyi
Crime Prevention and Community Police Relations General Manager Nontsundu Ndonga
Traffic Management General Manager John Nkuna in absentia
The National and Provincial Chairperson of the Community Police Forum
Other stakeholders
Government officials
Members of the media [SABC, Daily Sun, New Age and local newspapers]
Distinguished guests
Comrades and patriots
Ladies and gentlemen
This award-giving ceremony to the police stations, could not have come at a better time than today, when myself as an MEC, I have just completed nine months in this department.
Many of you would remember that in November last year; I made an
ambitious call to the people of Mpumalanga to give me only nine months in order
for me to change things around regarding the fight against crime.
Of course ladies and gentlemen, that was a genuine ambitious call because all of us know that as a department, I do not command the South African Police Service, but we are only playing an oversight role over them.
I am sure many people are asking themselves what I have achieved as an
MEC in this short period. Was it really necessary to put myself under such
pressure?
I am pleased ladies and gentlemen, that in the first nine months that I had been in this Office, things seem to be moving towards the right direction. Without boring you with the figures, it is encouraging to note that regardless of the challenges faced by our police officers, there are men and women who are dedicated in the fight against crime.
There are men and women who serve selflessly regardless of being
underpaid. There are men and women who have ensured that statistics on crime go
down.
Statistics showed that crime reduced in our province at the last quarter of 2010/2011. Even the overall performance of our police in the province improved drastically.
Our province was rated number seven at the end of 2009/2010 financial
year, but we have since improved. At the end of 2010/2011 financial year,
Mpumalanga was number four compared to other provinces.
Even the detective services in our province received an excellent
rating of 60.41 percent putting them in second place in the country as at the
end of 2010/2011 financial year.
Through our department’s Overall Friday, we were able to work together
with SAPS in the province in conducting operations such stop and search, raiding
of taverns and the road blocks.
I offered my moral and physical support to the men and women in blue
uniform. We have had many successes together. Together with the police, we
arrested wanted rape suspects who were on the run for months and months, which
under normal circumstance could have taken the police three months to corner
him.
We arrested people who were shipping loads and loads of dagga which was unfortunately intended for our people. We recovered stolen vehicles, confiscated dangerous weapons such as axes and other outsized knives at the taverns. We went as far as impounding un-roadworthy vehicles which could have killed many of our people.
These were not only the achievements; some people even complemented me as the MEC for the hard work in boosting the police officers morale. Some people would speak on radio and comment in the newspapers that the police are hard at work.
Although we still have not reached where we want things to be in terms of fighting crime, I can confidently tell everyone that Mpumalanga is somewhat a safe place to live in.
Police visibility has increased. Thanks to Lt-General Ntobela who ensured that police stations received vehicles. I remember in march this year, we handed at least 79 vehicles which were distributed around the police stations in the province.
Ladies and gentlemen, today’s honour for the police stations is
befitting because these awards give pat on the back for our officers.
Although only few of the 85 police stations our province boasts with will win tonight, in my opinion, all the police stations are the winners.
Police officers do not only provide police related services, but they
also give hope to our people. In actual fact, all the police stations in our
province should get these awards. It can only be a matter of lack of budget from
the department; otherwise all 85 police stations should be going home with
something in their hands.
Allow me to borrow from one of the fathers of American literature of the 19th century, Author Mark Twain, who had the following to say about good performance;
I open quote,
“It is better to deserve the honours and not have them, rather than to have them and not deserve them,”
I close quote.
Tonight’s glittering event is for honouring those police stations that deserve admiration. These are the stations which worked very hard and met the expectations in terms of our processes of monitoring and evaluation.
The police stations which will receive awards tonight, represent men and women who deserve recognition.
I always say it is better to honour people when they are still alive, rather than paying tribute to them when they have left this world.
I want to say, people will forget what you may have said, they will forget what you might have done, but one thing for sure, and they will never ever forget how you made them feel.
We therefore have a responsibility to change the people’s lives as different police stations in order for them to have trust on us for their safety and security.
To the station commanders of the police stations, I want to say, we all have talents, what is rare, is the courage to follow our talents. By failing to follow our talents, we find ourselves making excuses when we did not perform.
Excuses are the loser’s way out. Excuses will mar our credibility and
stunt our personal growth.
As leaders, station commanders should concentrate on their objectives because nothing great, really, was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourselves.
Failure is not the worst thing in the world. The very worst thing is not to try. I am happy that those struggling and trying police stations will be assisted.
Many of you are aware that Traffic Management was transferred from Public Works to my department as from the beginning of June this year.
I have heard some disturbing news that there is no unity between the members of the South African Police Service and the traffic officers in some of the areas of our province.
This is a serious concern for me ladies and gentlemen because all of them, are law enforcement agencies. They had been created to ensure safety and security for our people whether on the roads or anywhere.
Plans are underway for the establishment of my Special Traffic Intervention Unit which will focus on the killer roads. It will be launched soon and we believe it will deal harshly with those reckless drivers especially those who drink and drive, those who overload passengers and those who owe tickets for traffic violations.
The Unit will wear a special uniform and will be easily identified from
the normal traffic officers. This is one of our efforts of reducing road
fatalities in our province. It will also arrest its fellow traffic officers who
are involved on corruption.
As we have just ended the Women’s Month, I am calling on all of us to ensure that the campaign to recognize women continues for 365 days. I am pleased that some police stations headed by women would win tonight. Let us support them all the way.
Last weekend, my department in partnership with the South African
Police Service had a Women/Basadi Operation in Ermelo which was run by women
only.
Women are powerful ladies and gentlemen; they arrested a man who came from Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal at a roadblock who had the elephant horn destined for Gauteng. They further arrested many drunken drivers and scrapped many un-roadworthy vehicles.
In conclusion ladies and gentlemen, beside the normal awards for the
police stations, tonight I will introduce two new MEC’s Special Awards. I want
to keep them a secret until we announce them later tonight.
I also want to suggest that in future, certain directorates within the department which boast good performance be recognized too with the awards.
I am aware that there are many sections in my department which work
hand-in-hand with the police and have made the police’s work much easier.
Well done and congratulations to all the winners tonight! Remember, the fruit of your labour is sweet, and I must say you deserve it.
I thank you
