More muscle for civilians in SAPF

2010-07-13 17:10

Cape Town - Legislation to reinforce civilian control over the SA Police Force (SAPF) has been tabled in Parliament.

The draft Civilian Secretariat for Police Service Bill seeks to establish a civilian secretariat as required by Section 208 of the Constitution.

The bill provides the envisaged secretariat with powers and functions to exercise and perform civilian oversight over the SAPF and repeals the provisions relating to the Secretariat of Safety and Security in the police act.

In terms of the bill, the new secretariat will be structured to function independently from the SAPF and report directly to the police minister.

The secretariat will conduct civilian oversight of the SAPF by monitoring, assessing and evaluating the police force's performance. It will also provide the minister with policy advice and support in exercising his or her powers and performing his or her functions.

The secretariat will also implement a partnership strategy to mobilise role players, including civil society.

The current Secretariat for Safety and Security is regulated in terms of the police act.

Independent

This provides for the establishment and functions of the secretariat and the establishment of the executive co-ordinating committee in terms of the 1993 Interim Constitution.

Thus, the police act pre-dates the Constitution, necessitating the realignment of the secretariat with Section 208 of the Constitution.

The bill reinforces the secretariat's independence and takes cognisance of the political roles and responsibilities of the minister and provincial MECs responsible for policing in the provinces.

It also provides for aligning the secretariat's operations in the national and provincial spheres of government to allow for effective and optimised civilian oversight of the service.

It further allows for a co-operative framework between the Secretary for the Police Force and the heads of provincial departments responsible for policing.

This is intended, among other things, to ensure annual strategic and performance plans, priorities and objectives of the secretariat and provincial secretariats are aligned and co-ordinated.

Furthermore, the bill provides for the establishment, composition and functions of a senior management forum and intervention by the secretariat in the affairs of provincial secretariats on instruction of the minister.

It also promotes co-operation between the secretariat and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, which is to be established by the envisaged Independent Police Investigative Directorate Act.

- SAPA