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PRASA Board members must be held to account for bringing rail services to its knees

The below statement follows the laying of charges of fraud and corruption against PRASA Board by the DA Shadow Minister of Transport, Manny de Freitas MP, and the DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele MP.

Please find attached an English soundbite by Mr De Freitas and in IsiZulu by Mr Mbhele.

View pictures here, here, and here.

Today, the Democratic Alliance laid charges of maladministration, fraud and corruption against Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s board (PRASA) in terms of the Section 50, 51 and 55 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and Section 34 the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA).

The charges are based on a draft Auditor-General report, leaked to the DA, which details shocking financial mismanagement and possible breaches of the PFMA and PRECCA at PRASA.

PRASA has failed to table last year’s 2016/17 Annual Report which is now 318 Days overdue and this report in the DA’s possession shows why they have been reluctant to do so. The report revealed that:

  • PRASA systems are inadequate to identify irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure;
  • Tender irregularities continue, and tenders do not comply with respective laws, regulations and are not transparent. All tenders audited by the AG had irregularities related to the method of selection of a service provider and all the tenders had questionable bid processes; and
  • There are major issues with remuneration of PRASA employees. From the report, it is clear that some executives received remuneration illegally or incorrectly.

The DA hopes the South African Police Services (SAPS) will prioritise these charges to ensure that all those responsible for our failing railway system are investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

These board members presided over a complete collapse in governance at the entity which has affected quality of services and efficient running of the public transport system.

With the ever-increasing fuel prices, trains remain the cheapest mode of transport for South Africans and it’s vital that the backbone of South Africa’s public transport network gets back on track.

The DA has a rail plan that will create a safe and well-managed railway system which put commuters first and will ensure job security. The plan is based on four aspects:

  1. Stabilising and modernising the current rail system –  Focus on upgrading the current signal system to phase out the manual signal to prevent further crashes and derailment and re-establish a dedicated rail police unit to provide security on our rail system.
  2. Merge Transnet and PRASA under the Department of Transport – All rail-related passenger and freight services should become the direct responsibility of the Minister of Transport, to streamline decision making and improve planning and integration.
  3. Ceding control of Metrorail services to Metros – Metropolitan governments should take over Metrorail functions gradually which will ensure integrated public transportation systems and better governance.
  4. Diversifying Ownership – While the state should retain ownership of the infrastructure, the DA calls for the gradual privatisation of some railway operations. This will increase competition and choice for transportation in the rail sector.

The DA is committed to freeing South Africans from the ANC’s broken promises and continued looting. Commuters must be provided with quality services they rightly deserve so that they are able to keep and look for jobs.

In 2019, South Africans have the choice to vote in a national government which puts the people first, speeds up the delivery of services and cuts corruption.

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DA to lay criminal charges against the PRASA Board following leaked AG report detailing leadership and financial crisis

The following remarks were delivered by DA Shadow Minister of Transport, Manny de Freitas MP and DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele MP, at a press conference in Cape Town today. The draft Auditor-General report can be accessed here.

Cities and economies flourish when well-functioning public transportation systems are in place with rail being the backbone of such a system. A reliable and safe commuter rail is crucial to ensuring that people can get to work on time, to allow people to look for jobs and so that residents can access various services and amenities. With the rising cost of living, rail is now the most affordable way to travel.

However, through years of systematic corruption and mismanagement, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), which is responsible for delivering passenger rail services, has our rail system on its knees.

The DA has travelled the country to investigate the current conditions on our railways on our #RailSafety tour that included visits to the Western Cape, Gauteng and KZN. Across the board, South Africans are fed up with the current dangerous conditions they are forced to endure by the failing ANC government.

Every day, commuters are forced to deal with chronic and lengthy delays due to ailing infrastructure and vandalism. Just this morning we have seen reports of yet another train set on fire here in Cape Town. This is the seventh train fire in the city in the last few months alone.

Commuters are also unsafe due to a severe lack of safety officials and police to patrol train stations. This allows crime and vandalism to thrive, further compromising the safety of commuters and the stability of the system.

PRASA has been without a full-time Board for more than a year since the end of July 2017, and as the entity lurches from one crisis to another, the response from PRASA and the successive Transport Ministers has been the continued cover up corruption.

A laundry list of serious allegations was laid bare in the then Public Protector’s 2015 “Derailed Report” that described how top officials at PRASA handed out contracts to friends and allies. The real cause of the breakdown of PRASA has been systematic looting, seemingly to pay out ANC cronies.

The Public Protector’s report instructed the National Treasury to investigate these findings. These reports were finalised in December 2016 and were eventually leaked to the public last year.

However, 3 years since the Derailed Report, and after billions have been stolen from the entity, no one has been charged or arrested. In the light the lack of political will by the ANC to ensure accountability for those who have brought PRASA to its knees, the DA laid charges against those implicated.

Leaked Auditor General report on PRASA reveals the total institutional breakdown

One of the key instruments of accountability and transparency is the yearly Annual Report that all entities must provide to Parliament by 30 September each year, as required by the Public Finance Management Act of 1999. This document includes the Auditor General’s Recommendation on the financial affairs of a public entity.

PRASA has not yet submitted last year’s 2016/17 Annual Report which is now 318 Days overdue.

It is now in the public interest to reveal what is contained in this report. The main findings of the report in the DA’s possession are as follows:

Financial viability is in question as the entity has incurred massive losses

The report reveals that PRASA is on the verge of financial collapse that is directly linked to massive losses last year. The report states that “The entity and group have incurred a loss of R1,7 billion and R1,3 billion respectively for the year ended 31 March 2017.” This resulted in a “the accumulated loss as at 31 March 2017 is R4,4 billion for the entity and R4,5 billion at the group level.”

The AG comments that “The declining financial performance is further evident in the cash outflows from operations of R2,3 billion and R2,4 billion for entity and group respectively” and “It is further noted that there was no disclosure in the annual financial statements highlighting the financial sustainability challenges faced by the entity and group.”

PRASA systems are inadequate to identify irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure

The AG’s report indicates that “During the duration of the audit and prior to submission of the annual financial statements a number of findings identifying irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure were identified”.

The AG comments that “As the entity is currently undergoing a number of investigations relating to supply chain management matters and as confirmed by the Acting Group CFO and Acting  Group CEO on 4 December 2017, the PRASA group did not have an adequate system for identifying and disclosing all irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure, there were no satisfactory alternative procedures that I could perform to obtain reasonable assurance that all irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure had been properly recorded in notes 41 and 42 to the separate and consolidated financial statements”.

PRASA leadership has clearly learned nothing from the “Derailed Report” with irregularities able to continue due to lack of systems of accountability and transparency. There appears to be little or no political will to address this matter.

Tender irregularities continue: tenders do not comply with respective laws and regulations, are not transparent.

The AG took a sample of tenders from PRASA in the financial year 2016/7 which revealed critical issues of the 36 tenders analysed by the AG:

  • All had irregularities related to the method of selection of a service provider and all the tenders had questionable bid processes.
  • In 92% of the cases, internal processes or regulations, as well as relative regulation, law or legislation, were not adhered to.
  • In 33% of the cases, tender requirements were ignored and in 39% of the cases, tender amounts exceeded permissible amounts.
  • In five tenders, the highest scoring bidder did not receive the tender and in five cases, service providers were appointed without contracts.
  • In two cases, the incorrect service providers were appointed.

There are discrepancies between information supplied and information obtained by the AG. The AG noted the lack of consequence management for persons who are liable for irregular and fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred. This sample and the lack of consequence management speaks to serious mismanagement and continued misappropriation of funds at the entity.

Major issues with remuneration of PRASA employees

From the report, it is clear that some executives received remuneration illegally or incorrectly. One such case is the Intersite and Autopax Company Secretary, Mr Lindikaya Zide who took the responsibility of Company Secretary at Intersite and Autopax and continued to receive an allowance when he was no longer responsible for these positions. This amounted to approximately R250 000 of wasteful and illegal expenditure.

Additionally, declaration of interests were not submitted by suppliers, members of accounting authorities and employees. Twenty-two members are listed as not disclosing their interests and connections to suppliers including the previous Chairman of the Board, Popo Molefe. This is a contravention of the Section 50 PFMA.

The report also mentions although there was a request to pay the AGCEO an annual salary of approximately R6 million the Board could not provide proof of approval for this salary. Without such proof, Mr Letsoalo should not be entitled to this salary and should, therefore pay it back.

In order to get PRASA back on track and to ensure that South Africans have access to a safe and reliable rail system, the DA will take the following steps:

DA to lay further criminal charges against PRASA officials 

As indicated in the AG report the majority of the tenders went “through a system which is not fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective as required by Section 217 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and Section 51(1) of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), as the appointment was not done through a competitive process.”

According to the Section 86 of the PFMA, an accounting authority is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine, or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years, if that accounting authority wilfully or in a grossly negligent way fails to comply with a provision of section 50, 51 or 55.

Based on the information in this report the DA will lay charges against those implicated in terms of the PFMA which in this case is the is PRASA’s board who serves as the entity’s accounting officer.

PRASA must release Annual Report immediately

PRASA must immediately release the 2016/7 Annual Report to Parliament so the full context and performance of the entity can be assessed as legislated. The DA will write to the Minister of Transport, Blade Nzimande, to ensure the urgent release of the report to the public. The Treasury reports commissioned by the Public Protector should be immediately released including an action plan by the Minister and PRASA executives when those implicated will be face consequences for their actions.

Parliamentary Inquiry into PRASA must commence immediately

Parliament, through the Portfolio Committee on Transport, must immediately begin its Inquiry into PRASA as PRASA and the Ministry has no appetite. This process is crucial to ensure that the rot in PRASA is removed. The Portfolio Committee has already agreed to this Inquiry and therefore, the DA will write to the Chairperson of the Committee, Dikeledi Magadzi, to urgently confirm the dates.

The DA has designed a rail plan that will create a safe and well-managed railway system which put commuters first and will ensure job security. The plan is based on four aspects:

  1. Stabilising and modernising the current rail system –  An urgent update is required to ascertain the progress on upgrading the current signal system to phase out the manual signal to prevent further crashes and derailment.
  2. Merge Transnet and PRASA under the Department of Transport – This means all rail-related passenger and freight services should become the direct responsibility of the Minister of Transport. This will streamline decision making and improve planning and integration.
  3. Ceding control of Metrorail services to Metros – This process will see Metropolitan governments take over Metrorail functions gradually which will ensure integrated public transportation systems and better governance. The Western Cape Government and the City have already committed additional security personal thus ensuring increased protection of commuters and infrastructure at risk.
  4. Diversifying Ownership – While the state should retain ownership of the infrastructure, the DA calls for the gradual privatisation of some railway operations. This will increase competition and choice for transportation in the rail sector.

The DA’s plan is the only alternative to the ANC’s broken public railway transportation system. Our rail plan will put commuters first and ensure job security because it will be safe, efficient and corruption free.

In 2019, South African have the opportunity to choose a government that is committed to empowering South African public transport commuters and ensuring that the rail transportation system puts the safety of South Africans first, ensures that South Africans keep their jobs and are able to use trains to find work.

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SAPS members with criminal records in Mangaung FCS unit highlights nation-wide police mismanagement problem

This statement follows an oversight visit to Mangaung Police Station in the Free State by DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele MP.

Please find soundbites in English and IsiZulu by Mr Mbhele.

Today’s oversight visit to the Mangaung Police Station’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit in the Free State, highlights a nation-wide problem of police members with criminal records, which is reflective of mismanagement on the part of the police top brass.

In Mangaung specifically, there are 3 FCS SAPS members with criminal charges relating to the defrauding of SASSA, reckless driving and assault. According to the law, someone with a criminal record is not eligible to serve as a police officer. However, in the course of the oversight visit, an explanation was brought forth to indicate that at least one of the criminal records is a case of wrongful conviction that needs to be investigated, as the member was not aware of the record against their name and was never called as a witness to a court process that resulted in the conviction.

Whatever the full facts of the matter, it is clear that there has been a management failure in the criminal justice system whereby the criminal record was not picked up earlier and the member thus afforded an opportunity to explain the preceding circumstances and apply for condonation or expungement.

It’s patently clear that police members who have criminal records would either be not fit to serve in the SAPS and especially to deal with children and victims of sexual violence, or they might have been failed by mismanagement to ensure correct records concerning their criminal status, which could potentially haunt the careers of serving members unfairly.

The fact that there are cops with convictions still in the police service, especially the critical component such as the FCS unit, demonstrates that the ANC government does not care enough to ensure SAPS members are fit and proper for serving those affected by crime, or at the least is mismanaging these records and human resource systems.

The entire SAPS leadership crisis continues to fail our people, especially victims of rape, due to the under-resourced and under-trained police service.

The fight against the unacceptably high levels of crimes becomes a futile exercise when the police service is harbouring police officers with criminal records.

The DA has relentlessly called on the Police Minister, Bheki Cele, to ensure an overhaul of the SAPS leadership and the adequate training of the police personnel in order to ensure the safety of all South Africans in their homes and in the streets.

If Minister Cele was serious about his job, he would crack down on criminal cops, remove from the service those who rightly should be, and ensure a swift and effective condonation process for those who qualify for it. Individuals who are not fit-for-purpose offer nothing in the bid to fight crime and make South Africa safe.

Minister Cele must immediately remove patently criminal cops and clean up the records such that they should not put an unjust stain against the names of men and women in the SAPS.

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Deeply under-resourced SAPS has spent R12.2m on Mdluli and counting

Please find attached soundbites in English and IsiZulu by DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele MP.
The DA can confirm today that former Head of Crime Intelligence, Richard Mdluli, has received a further R4,2 million from the deeply under-resourced South African Police Service (SAPS) for doing nothing for close to a decade after an agreement reached with former Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula, earlier this year.
This was revealed in the reply to the question posed by the DA’s Adv. Hendrick Schmidt, and follows on a reply received last year that revealed that SAPS had already spent R8.3 million on Mdluli over the past 7 years.
The DA submitted a complaint to the Public Service Commission in 2017. Their report, finalised earlier this year, found that “it is clear that the disciplinary process has been delayed for a period of 7 years” and SAPS’ handling of the matter demonstrated “indecisiveness and inefficiency”, impacting on the use of state resources.
It is no surprise that the ANC government would find it perfectly acceptable to spend even more money on Mdluli. The ANC has normalised awarding comfortable settlements to ill-equipped and compromised individuals.
If new Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, is serious about steering SAPS leadership in the right direction, he must ensure that individuals at the helm of SAPS leadership are capable of carrying out their mandate effectively and can ensure that the cries of ordinary South Africans who grapple daily with the high levels of crime in their communities are being heard.
This exorbitant amount of money could be better channelled towards pressing issues such as acquiring more police vehicles which can significantly improve response time to incidents of crime. These persistent systemic weaknesses within the SAPS require urgent financial support and decisive leadership.
Even more shocking is that the payment of R4 228 519 made to Mr Mdluli excludes his normal pension benefits and gratuity payable by the Government Pensions Administration Agency. The DA will submit further questions to determine the full amount that Mdluli will receive as the public deserves to know how much it has cost us to get rid of him.
It is an insult to ordinary South Africans that Mdluli was awarded with a comfortable settlement after contributing absolutely nothing to public safety and to the combatting of crime in this country. South Africans deserve to have safe streets and safe homes and this can only be realised by dedicated police who are committed to fighting crime and upholding the rule of law.

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Engcobo attack shows that crime is out of control

This statement follows an oversight visit to Engcobo Police Station by DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele MP and DA Leader in the Provincial Legislature, Bobby Stevenson MPL. Please find soundbites in English and IsiZulu by Mr Mbhele.
Today’s visit to the Engcobo SAPS with the DA Leader in the Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature, Bobby Stevenson, highlighted the fact our communities are not safe.
When a police station, which should stand as a bright light against the dark act of crime, is subjected to the horror of theft and murder, then this brings us to question our own safety as ordinary citizens and the ability of the SAPS to fight crime.
Following this heinous attack on our women and men in blue, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula needs to roll out a plan and strategy that tangibly and effectively keeps us safe in our homes and on the streets. The reality is that crime cannot be tweeted away. How many more people must die before we see real action from the Minister?
Today, we also met with the Eastern Cape Provincial Police Commissioner, General LE Ntshinga, to discuss what actions have and should be taken to ensure that the Engcobo police station’s infrastructure is secure.
It appears that stealing firearms was at least part of the motive for this brazen attack. It is deeply concerning that the police station was attacked at the same time as patrol vehicles, in what may have been a co-ordinated attack to paralyse the ability of the SAPS to respond to an ATM attack that was underway at the same time but was ultimately unsuccessful.
This disturbing attack highlights that our SAPS members need to be adequately resourced, equipped and trained so that they are ready for any possible eventuality.
The DA calls on the Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula to prioritise making sure that police stations across the country have the resources they need to protect themselves and the people of South Africa against criminals. This follows the deadly attack on Engcobo Police station in which 6 SAPS members were murdered.
Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and we extend our sympathy and encouragement to the surviving SAPS members who have been traumatised.
SAPS members put their lives on the line every day and it is only fair that they have what they need to protect themselves and ultimately the people they are meant to protect.
It is clear that the Minister is neglecting his duty to fully capacitate and professionalise the police service. This results in the lack of resources at police stations and therefore, the SAPS’s inability to bring down the unacceptably high rate of crime in our country.
The fact of the matter is that the police’s efforts to ensure safer communities will be reduced to a mere exercise in futility if the police themselves are not fully-equipped to take on hardened criminals.
It is an indictment on Minister Mbalula and the entire SAPS leadership that the men and women tasked with the safety of our people, lack the necessary resources to do their jobs.
The DA welcomes that a team of detectives has been assigned the case and the Minister must provide regular updates on the progress made in the investigation. We also appeal to the public come forward with any information which can help track down the perpetrators of this crime.
 

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Minister Maswanganyi must step up rail safety measures for communters

This statement follows an oversight visit to the Geldenhuis Train Station, in Ekurhuleni, by the DA Shadow Minister of transport, Manny de Freitas MP, accompanied by the DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele MP, and the DA Member of the Gauteng Legislature, Paul Willemburgh MPL. An English soundbite by Manny de Freitas, and an isiZulu soundbite by Zakhele Mbhele, are attached. 

Following our oversight visit to the Geldenhuis Train Station today, the DA was left appalled by the dire state of our rail infrastructure. This oversight follows four derailments in less than a month including the 9 January train accident in Germiston, which left over 200 people injured.

We saw clear signs of vandalism. Commuters complained about chronically late trains, criminals having free reign on the rail system, and feared that more train accidents could potentially claim their lives.

The commuters’ complaints of the dilapidated infrastructure at train stations and the poor conditions of trains point to a clear lack of proper planning and the absence of decisive leadership at Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

Despite the Minister’s claims that “there is no crisis” at PRASA, our interactions with ordinary citizens today prove otherwise.

The DA has on numerous occasions called on the Minister of Transport, Joe Maswanganyi, to urgently address the issues at PRASA. The DA proposes that the government implement the following actions steps with the necessary urgency:

  • Appoint a capable, qualified, full-time board and executives at PRASA with untainted track records;
  • Implement an emergency safety plan that includes a dedicated police unit in the form of Railway Police to take over security operations as the current private security company is not fully equipped to combat crime and vandalism;
  • To order an urgent update as to the progress made in upgrading the current signal system so that no manual signal is used and to therefore avoid unnecessary incidents of crashes, derailments and security issues;
  • That PRASA cede control of Metrorail services and the allocated budget to Metro councils to ensure an efficient and safe integrated transportation system is delivered to commuters.

South Africans who board trains on a daily basis experience first-hand the incidents of theft of their belongings, vandalism and their personal safety is not guaranteed. Whenever they board a train they commute with the constant fear of falling victim to crime.

This is creating an environment for criminals to thrive and the unsafe railway lines demonstrate the lack of leadership and investment by PRASA into Metrorail services.

We need a total overhaul of the leadership at PRASA and urgent action is required from Minister Maswanganyi to address the current conditions of commuter safety in order to ensure a safe, reliable and integrated transport.

 

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Eradicating violence against women and children needs a professional Police service

The following speech was delivered today in Parliament by Democratic Alliance (DA) Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele MP, as part of commemorations for the 16 Days of Activism against violence against women and children.
The topic for today’s debate on 16 Days of Activism is based on the idea of a “whole-of-society approach” involving all safety stakeholders working in partnership to reduce violence against women and children. As the slogan of the Western Cape Department of Community Safety says, “Safety is everyone’s responsibility.”
Arguably the most important stakeholder in this safety partnership for a non-violent South Africa is the criminal justice system. It functions under the ambit of national government and is therefore a direct responsibility of the ANC as the incumbent governing party, though not for much longer.
Without firm commitments towards effectiveness and efficiency in the police and public prosecution services, the efforts of all other safety partners have limited effect at best and, at worst, are rendered impotent. Optimal functioning of law enforcement agencies is fundamentally dependent on the quality, competence and calibre of their top leadership and management. On this score, the ANC government has been a dismal failure.
Because the ANC is a party of cronyism, cadre deployment and corruption, it has done the exact opposite of what is required to have fit-for-purpose leadership in the police service who will get the basics of effective policing right and ensure a professional police service. Since becoming President‚ Mr Zuma has systematically weakened our criminal justice system with his poor record of policing appointments.
Police Minister Mbalula is on record that he and Mr Zuma are finalising the appointment process for a new permanent Head of Hawks and permanent National Police Commissioner respectively. The lack of a transparent and independent process in this regard is already cause for concern because decisions will once again be taken behind closed doors against unknown criteria.
President Zuma and Minister Mbalula must know that candidates chosen for these positions will demonstrate to the public how seriously this ANC government takes the crucial need for fit-for-purpose leadership. South Africans are clear on their position that they want a professional and effective policing system that will be able to fight crime and ensure safety on the streets and at home.
The fundamental problem we face as a country in effectively tackling and reducing crime, especially violence against women and children, is a lack of political will within the ANC national government to do the things that are required to turn the police service around to make it an effective crime-fighting organisation.
The ANC’s modus operandi of cronyism and cadre deployment means that police leadership is politicised and/or isn’t always appointed and promoted on the basis of merit and thus they fail to get the basics of effective management right. As a result, most police stations are under-staffed, under-resourced, under-equipped and under-trained.
The only solution to these problems so that we stand a chance of reducing crime is for the ANC to be voted out of power and for a new DA-led national government to be installed at the 2019 elections that will have the political will to fix the fundamentals in the criminal justice system.

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Murder is a trauma felt by many families, including my own

The following speech was delivered by DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele MP, during the debate on murder in the National Assembly today.
We welcome this opportunity for Parliament to debate the scourge of murder affecting all South Africans on a daily basis, a motion proposed by the DA following last week’s release of the annual crime statistics which showed that violent and organised crimes continue to increase. This ongoing trend is a reflection of police ineffectiveness under the ANC and has brought the crisis of rampant criminality once more to the fore of the public mind.
The recent crime statistics showed that all South Africans, irrespective of race or background, can become a target of violent crime. Every South African knows the feeling of fearing for their life and the lives of their loved ones. Women and children are the most vulnerable, often being the targets of horrific rapes and a shocking seven women and children are murdered every day.
This is a trauma and tragedy that has been known and felt by many families, including my own. In about 2 weeks, on the 15th of November, it will mark 7 years since my mother was brutally murdered with multiple stab wounds, the result of a labour dispute gone horribly wrong with her gardener, at least based on what was revealed during court testimony of the accused who pleaded guilty and received the maximum sentence for murder.
In our case, we were luckier than most in that the suspect was apprehended within days and we were able to gain closure because justice was done, notwithstanding the year-long delay in the scheduling of the case at the Regional Court because it took that long for the DNA test results to come back from the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
The issues of processing backlogs, lack of capacity and inefficient administration in the FSL environment affect the lives of people already in a traumatised state in very real ways. At this juncture, I must pay tribute to the investigating officer in my mother’s murder’s case, Warrant Officer Jaco Wentzel of the Deneysville SAPS, who was a laudable help in providing regular feedback and progress updates to our family, despite the hindrances that plagued the system.
Now I know that the ANC may come up to this podium and talk about how South Africa has always been a violent society, that centuries of violence have been perpetrated against communities through imperialism, colonialism and apartheid and that cycles of violence perpetrate themselves as a legacy of our oppressive past.
We do not deny or negate the role of history and how its effects play out in contemporary patterns of social dysfunction. However, this reasoning surely loses its potency as time goes by. No one can reasonably expect centuries of that history to be undone or reversed in 23 years but we can reasonably expect to have made faster progress than we have under the ANC. As a country, we should have been further along and should have minimised the intensification of the problem, as has become the case in many contexts.
Were it not for the cronyism, corruption and state capture that has come to define ANC misgovernance, starting with the Arms Deal in the late 1990s and culminating in the Zupta saga revelations and politically motivated manipulation at state owned enterprises, we could have ensured that more poor and economically marginalised citizens were better provided for, had access to more jobs through inclusive economic growth and enjoyed more opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
Had the ANC governed and delivered as it promised and South Africa been able to realise more of its potential, we would have had better prospects to repair our damaged social fabric which gives fertile context for domestic and interpersonal violence, rather than having seen a continued and exacerbated fraying of the social fabric. Had the ANC governed and delivered as it promised, perhaps a labour dispute would not be escalated by a desperation and despair over scarce economic resources into a murder.
Thus the scourge of violence in South Africa is a damning indictment on the ANC government.
Even with the social fabric issues aside, the fact is that violent and organised crime in South Africa has been a growing contributing factor to the epidemic of murder and has long reached crisis point. Sadly, the SAPS has been losing the fight, in large part, a direct result of the chronic under-training, under-staffing, under-resourcing and under-equipping of the Police Service (the four U’s), combined with crime intelligence-in-crisis and detectives-in-distress, meaning that the SAPS is unable to tackle organised crime and the syndicates who drive it and lack a strong, skilled investigative capacity to ensure high detection and conviction rates.
The four U’s, combined with poor leadership, low professionalism and weak accountability in the police service all mean that the SAPS is unable to get a grip on and successfully bring crime down.
Enough is enough, genoeg is genoeg, kwanele kwanele. We need to take our country back from the criminals that are crippling our society with fear and the criminals who have hampered and hollowed out the capability of the criminal justice system to bring them to book.
The fundamental problem we face as a country in effectively tackling and reducing the murder epidemic and the criminality that feeds into it is a lack of political will within the ANC national government to do the things that are required to turn the police service around to make it an effective crime-fighting organisation.
We can no longer rely on the ANC to fix the problem. The hope for the reduction of unemployment, poverty and crime, resulting in safe streets and safe homes, lies only in a post-ANC South Africa. As the DA, we are committed to seeing violent crime being rooted out of our communities and the realisation of freedom, fairness and opportunity for all. We stand with every South African who has been a victim of crime.
The only solution so that we stand a chance of having an effective police service and a more prosperous nation is for the ANC to be voted out of power and for a DA-led government to be elected in 2019 that will have the political will to fix the fundamentals in the police and grow the economy for the benefit of all the people.

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52 South Africans murdered, 109 raped and 46 hijacked every day.

Today’s release of the Annual Crime Statistics shockingly revealed that violent and organised crimes tragically continue to increase and there have been 52 murders, 109 rapes and 46 hijacking victims every day in South Africa.
This is in large part, a direct result of the chronic under-training, under-staffing, under-resourcing and under-equipping (the four U’s) of the South African Police Services (SAPS), combined with crime intelligence-in-crisis and detectives-in-distress. This means that the SAPS is unable to tackle organised crime and the syndicates who drive it and lack a strong, skilled investigative capacity to ensure high detection and conviction rates.

What is beyond doubt is that the Police Minister, Fikile Mbalula, is ultimately responsible for the allocation of SAPS resources. It is up to him to take the nation into his confidence and to tell us what concrete plans he has to address this national crisis.
– DA Shadow Minister of Police Zakhele Mbhele

We must also question whether or not these statistics are a true reflection of the level of crime, as research does seem to point to under-reporting and under-recording of crimes.
We expect a detailed plan on how Minister, Fikile Mbalula will address the four U’s, professionalise the police service and ensure fit and proper police leadership.
Click here to read the full statement by DA Shadow Minister of Police Zakhele Mbhele.

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Mbalula and Abrahams must urgently brief the public on state institutions break-ins and Gupta cases

Note to Editors: The following remarks were delivered by Zakhele Mbhele MP and Adv Glynnis Breytenbach MP during a picket outside the National Prosecuting Authority Headquarters in Pretoria this morning.
The Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula, and the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP), Shaun Abrahams, must urgently brief the nation on two matters of serious public importance:
1. The progress, or lack thereof, in investigating the high-profile criminal charges which the DA has laid over the past 10 months, including 9 cases which relate to the Gupta family; and
2. The progress in making arrests for the various high-level break-ins which have occurred in recent months, including the break-in at Parliament’s Marks Building where laptops of journalists were stolen and the latest break-in at the Gauteng North Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) offices two nights ago.
The South African Police Service should be investigating both of these issues as a matter of priority.
The demonstration at the NPA Headquarters this morning follows a submission made by the DA Leader, Mr Mmusi Maimane, to President Jacob Zuma making the case that South Africa needs an effective NDPP. That person is most certainly not Shaun Abrahams. While it serves President Zuma well to have a seat-warmer in this position, it is still a constitutional requirement which cannot be ignored.
1. Progress on criminal charges:
Over the past 10 months, the DA has laid 13 criminal charges, against at least 23 individuals including President Zuma, members of his cabinet and members of the Gupta family and 6 companies and state entities.
Of these 13 cases, 9 cases relate to State Capture by the Gupta family.
The charges range from corruption, contempt of court, perjury and money laundering, to treason and racketeering.
A summary of the various charges can be seen in the attached table.
It is clear from a number of reports, including the Public Protector’s State of Capture report, and the huge volume of recently leaked emails that there is rampant corruption and other serious criminal activity taking place at the most senior levels of government.
President Zuma and the Gupta family are intricately involved – it is clear that on numerous occasion they have conducted themselves in a criminal manner to extract public funds or to influence government decisions for their own personal benefit.
Repeatedly we have seen a lack of action by the South African Police Service (SAPS) to deal with these issues. Minister Mbalula needs to urgently provide the public with an update on these cases, so that we can see whether the SAPS have started their investigations.
This briefing needs to be done in conjunction with Shaun Abrahams as it is possible that these cases are already sitting with the NPA awaiting a decision on whether to prosecute.
The prima facia evidence in a lot of these cases is very clear – it is imperative that decisions on whether to investigate or prosecute are not influenced by any attempts to protect the President or his cronies.
Importantly, it has been more than 40 months since the Leader of the DA, Mmusi Maimane, laid 8 charges of corruption against Jacob Zuma for his role in the Nkandla upgrades.
To date, no decision has been taken by the NPA on whether to prosecute or not. The DA has approached both the NDPP and the Minister of Justice on this matter, seeking answers as to why the matter is so delayed. Shaun Abrahams now needs to provide the answers. He cannot continue to idle while South Africa is being sold to the highest bidder by the ANC and President Zuma. His deafening silence on these cases and break-ins really brings into question his ability to hold this position.
2. Progress in making arrests for the various high-level break-ins:
Importantly, Mbalula also needs to urgently brief the public on what the SAPS are doing to prevent break-ins such as the one at the DPP at the beginning of this week.
Over the past few months, we have seen break-ins at the DPP, the Hawks, the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) and the Helen Suzman Foundation offices.
In the OCJ case, 15 computers containing the private information of South Africa’s judges and officials were stolen.
It appears that there is a culture of intimidation brewing in our country – where anyone who stands up against corruption or those connected to power gets targeted. The DA will never bow to such intimidation – we need to be assured by Mbalula and Abrahams that neither will the SAPS or the NPA.
Importantly, to date no arrests have been made in any of these cases, and the SAPS seems unable to prevent continued break-ins. This is unacceptable – the SAPS has a duty to act and Mbalula needs to tell South Africa what has been done and what will be done to protect our institutions from further attack.
While the DA commends the swift undertaking by Police Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Francois Beukman, to summon the Acting Head of the Hawks to give a full briefing and report-back on the burglary, we also re-iterate our call that Police Minister, Fikile Mbalula, must also be summoned to the same Committee meeting to inform Parliament of his intended action as Executive Authority of the Police portfolio to this unprecedented string of break-ins, as requested in our letter to Mr Beukman sent today.
Corruption-fighting institutions are vital in any functional democracy. In South Africa, where the stories of high-level corruption increase daily, our institutions need protection.
The DA thus calls on both Minister Mbalula and Shaun Abrahams to urgently brief the public on the criminal cases which the DA has laid with the SAPS and on the recent high-level break-ins. Such a briefing is a matter of public importance to which ‘no’ is simply not an acceptable answer.
President Zuma would also do well to consider the DA’s submission that Shaun Abrahams must go. If there was any indication that he cannot hold this position, his silence during this time is one such glaring example.