CPUs up to 78% understaffed

2003-03-12 20:45

Cape Town - MPs should be "united in the fight against crime", Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said on Wednesday, in response to criticism that government was ineffective in its efforts to halt the increase in child abuse cases.

He was speaking during a special debate in the National Assembly on the role of the South African Police Service's Child Protection Units (CPUs).

"We, as law abiding and peace-loving South Africans, belong on the same side... we are fighting the criminals out there and this is the message we should send out."

Nqakula said the perceived problems of the CPUs were part of a wider restructuring and transformation occurring in the police services.

"There used to be 534 specialised units in the detective services division, but we have shut down 270 of them," said Nqakula.

There were 945 members, with 374 vehicles, currently operating in 45 CPUs around the country. The units also dealt with family violence and the abuse of women.

"A new allocation during the current financial year will raise the number to 1 284 (members). Eventually, 1 476 SAPS members will be deployed to deal with crimes against women and children, mobilised under 53 units. The units will have 738 vehicles at there disposal," Nqakula said.

Units stressed, under-resourced

Earlier on Wednesday, MPs heard details of the work carried out by the CPUs, and the stressful conditions its members, who provide the first line of defence against child abuse, operate under.

The Democratic Alliance's Mike Waters told the house he had visited all 45 CPUs countrywide in order to acquaint himself with the situation on the ground.

"Shocked by the sheer number of child and baby rape cases, 44 466 in 2001, the general abuse of children and the unacceptably low conviction rate, I decided to go and find out the real reasons behind it all.

"Instead of finding units fully-resourced, trained and equipped, I discovered units overworked, stressed and hopelessly under-resourced," he said.

He said Nqakula had told Parliament in September last year there should be 1 432 officers at CPUs.

"The actual figure of 739 means we are short 693 officers, or a staggering 48.4%. The Western Cape is the most severely affected, being 78% under-staffed, followed by Mpumalanga, which is 70.8% under-staffed," said Waters.

He also listed other problems afflicting members, including huge case loads, lack of training, inadequate equipment and a shortage of vehicles.

Little counselling for officers

"The work these police officers do is by its very nature highly disturbing and traumatic. Yet counselling or debriefing for officers hardly ever happens.

"According to SAPS, counselling sessions should take place at least once every six months.

"KwaZulu-Natal presents the worst picture; in the eight years that the Pietermaritzburg unit has been operational, no-one has been debriefed".

Waters said the DA proposed, among other things:

That the vacant posts of police officers, social workers and those working at forensic laboratories be declared essential skills so that all the vacant posts could be filled;

That all CPU officers receive immediate training in Child Protection and basic detective work;

That all doctors working at state hospitals immediately receive training in how to use the new crime kits and fill in the required paperwork;

Tthat the department of health undertake to train doctors in how to conduct forensic examinations of children; and,

that unfinished cases from 2001 and earlier be prioritised and finalised, possibly through the establishment of Saturday courts.

Rape, attempt every 24 sec

African Christian Democratic Party leader, Rev Kenneth Meshoe, said statistics showed there was a rape or attempted rape of a child every 24 seconds in South Africa.

Echoing much of what Waters said about work conditions, Meshoe said: "The CPUs, which were designed to combat this growing plague, are failing to make an impact and stem the tide of this crime against humanity".

The root of the problem was the atmosphere the government has created "that produces criminals and perpetrators of these heinous crimes" against children.

"By legalising pornography, which inflames the passion and lusts of men, the incidence of rape of children has kept increasing. Pornography is the theory, but rape is the action."

Meshoe called on government to pass legislation requiring all internet service providers to be registered so that they could be regulated.

Dire need for resources

The New National Party's Johnny Schippers also used the safety and security minister's figures to highlight the dire need for human and financial resources.

Citing as an example the deaths of two Cape Town children in the past week, both killed in gang crossfire near their homes, Schippers said: "Our parents are faced with an extremely difficult task, especially in the underprivileged areas, which are stricken by crime and poverty.

"The child protection units must be empowered to ensure the safety of our children in the streets and in the community."

- SAPA