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About SA - Police, defence and securityPolice, defence and intelligenceThe task of maintaining the safety and security of society is critical to the success of all government's programmes. Law enforcement services in South Africa fall under the Department of Police, which is responsible for policy determination, direction and overall execution of the department's mandate in relation to relevant legislation. The South African Police Service (SAPS) is South Africa's principal law enforcement body and is responsible for preventing, combatting and investigating crime to maintain public order, protect and secure the inhabitants of the country and their property, and to uphold and enforce the law.
Some municipalities, such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria, have their own local police units, tasked mainly with road security and local law enforcement.The primary objective of the Department of Defence is to defend and protect South Africa, its territorial integrity and its people in accordance with the Constitution and the principles of international law regulating the use of force. The main duties of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) are sea and land border protection, and peacekeeping on the African continent.
The Department of State Security is responsible for providing government with intelligence on domestic, foreign or potential threats to national stability, the constitutional order, and the safety and wellbeing of its people. This enables government to implement and improve policies to deal with potential threats and to better understand existing threats.Police
Crime prevention
According to 2012 Police crime statistics, South Africa has seen an overall decrease in serious crime. Statistics from 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, which were released in September 2012, reflected a decline in all seven categories of contact crime (this refers to murder, attempted murder, sexual offences, assault grievous bodily harm, assault common, aggravated robbery and common robbery). These crimes decreased by 3,5%. There was a 3,1% decrease in murders; attempted murder declined by 5,2%; assault with grievous bodily harm by 4,2% and common assault by 3,4%. Car-hijacking declined by 11,9%; cash-in-transits dropped by 37,5%; bank robberies decreased by 10,3%; ATM bombings decreased by 34,6%; aggravated robbery decreased by 1,4%; and common robberies decreased by 4,6%. House robberies decreased by 1,9%; business robberies increased by 7,5%; the sexual offences ratio decreased by 3,7%.
Looking more broadly than the criminal justice system, 56 suspects with illegally obtained assets of more than R5 million were investigated, 26 of whom had appeared in court. Assets worth R580 million of 19 individuals had been restrained.During 2011/12, the Anti-Corruption Task Team that was specifically established to investigate public sector corruption in terms of government's delivery agreement, arrested 38 suspects for fraud and corruption amounting to R212 528 988 and seized assets totalling R150 million.
In 2011/12, 28 163 policing actions were conducted, focusing on a number of priority areas to address the incidence of priority crime (trio crime, contact crime, contactrelated crime, crimes dependent on police action for detection, property-related and other serious crime).
These actions included 54 748 roadblocks and 2 189 965 stop-and-search operations. More than 1,6 million arrests were made, compared to 1,4 million in 2010/11. These arrests included 836 144 arrests for priority crime compared to 688 937 in 2010/11. In 2011/12, 66 572 vehicles were stolen and robbed
in South Africa, and 30 437 vehicles were recovered. Recoveries include vehicles stolen or robbed during previous years, which could be identified by means of primary and secondary identifiers; 3 164 recovered vehicles that could not be identified were compacted.During 2011/12, 133 478 arrests were made for drug-related crimes during policing actions, 30% more than in 2010/11. Cannabis remains the most prevalent illicit drug used in South Africa, since it is the most easily accessible drug and is cultivated in South Africa. Mandrax is the second most commonly used illicit drug.
Between April 2011 and March 2012, the SAPS seized more than 137 000 kg cannabis and 630 589 cannabis plants. Some 127 680 Mandrax tablets, 44 kg cocaine, 107 kg crystal methamphetamine (Tik) were also seized as well as other drugs such as whoonga, nyaope, heroine, ecstasy and LSD.
During the investigation of organised crime cases, more than 17 000 kg cannabis, 21 kg cocaine, 38 kg crack cocaine, 1 632 472 Mandrax tablets, 2 381 ecstasy tablets, 198 kg heroin and 62 g crystal methamphetamine were confiscated; 481 arrests were made in relation to these drug seizures; and 16 clandestine drug laboratories were detected and dismantled, culminating in the arrests of 30 suspects.The anonymous tip-off service Crime Line has contributed to 3 000 arrests and more than R41 million in seizures of stolen and coun - terfeit goods and drugs since it was started five years ago; 80% of the tip-offs were drug-related. The system had contributed to the arrests of criminals wanted for crimes such as ATM bombings, possession of illegal firearms and ammunition, and making illegal electricity connections. At least 16 800 illegal connections and acts of meter tampering had been thwarted in cooperation with Eskom's Operation Khanyisa initiative. The public can report crime by sending an SMS to 32211, or online at www.crimeline.co.za.
Visible policing
Visible policing is regarded as a line-function division of the SAPS, specifically responsible for:
- combatting crime through crime operations
- providing for the activities at police stations
- combatting crimes in the railway environment
- dealing with crimes affecting the social fabric of society, including crimes against women and children and community-based crime prevention
- providing a rapid-response service in respect of crimes in progress
- providing police dog and mounted services
- rendering a specialised services by hostage and suicide negotiators and police divers
- eradicating the proliferation of illegal firearms for the availability and use in crime and violence
- ensuring effective compliance and enforcement of liquor control legislation to address serious and violent crime as well as contact crime in South Africa.
In 2011, the department introduced a new policy for Public Order Policing. In 2012/13, the management of police was tasked to ensure the policy is effectively implemented throughout the country. In 2012/13, more than 18 000 police officers across the country were trained in the Victim Empowerment Programme, child justice, human rights, domestic violence and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 2007. For this, R1,7 billion was budgeted for all forms of training interventions.
Forensic Science Services and Criminal Record Centre
The function of the Criminal Record Centre is to identify and confirm any previous convictions of suspects in crimes being investigated by the SAPS.
During 2011/12, the Criminal Record Centre received 1 211 598 crime-related fingerprint enquiries for possible identification and/or confirmation.
Of these, 1 137 423 previous conviction reports were generated within 20 days of receipt and 576 569 were first offenders. In total, 1 018 829 commercial searches (no-criminal related enquiries) were also received for processing.
The forensic science laboratory renders a support service to investigating officers by analysing physical evidence that is collected from crime scenes. During 2011/12, the forensic science laboratory received 320 729 submissions for analysis.In February 2012, Cabinet approved the National Cybersecurity Policy Framework. The framework outlines policy positions intended to address national security threats in cyberspace; combat cyberwarfare, cybercrime and other cyber-ills; and develop, review and update existing substantive and procedural laws to ensure alignment. The framework will also build confidence and trust in the secure use of information and communications technology.
Defence
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has a defensive orientation and a non-threatening posture in accordance with the White Paper on National Defence of the Republic of South Africa. The Department of Defence defends and protects South Africa, its territorial integrity and its people.
The Department of Defence, under the auspices of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, participates in various initiatives to secure peace and stability on the continent.
The SANDF is an all-volunteer force consisting of a regular core force and a reserve force. In addition to military matters, the Department of Defence is involved in search and rescue operations, hydrography and securing national key points.
niformed members of the SANDF have the right to join trade unions, but may not go on strike or picket.
Peace support
The role of the SANDF in promoting peace and security in the region and the continent necessitated the enhancement of the SANDF's peacekeeping capability, which will include the SANDF's Forward Deployment Capability.
The SANDF continued to participate in the UN Peace Support Operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the UN/AU hybrid Peace Support Operation in Sudan and the provision of training to the armed forces of the Central African Republic.
The SANDF was tasked to execute counter-piracy operations in support of the Mozambican Defence Force in the Mozambique Channel. In addition, the SANDF had five general military assistance operations in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea and the DRC.
Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor)
The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans is responsible for Armscor. The management and control of Armscor reside with a board of directors, while its day-to-day management is handled by a management board. The Department of Defence has an oversight role over Armscor, and allocates funding from the fiscus to the corporation. Armscor's acquisition role pertains to all the actions that need to be taken to satisfy the need for materiél, facilities or services intended for client use or in support of client requirements.
Denel Group of South Africa
Denel (Pty) Ltd is a commercially driven holding company, with equity of varying degrees in several defence and aerospace subsidiaries and associated companies.
During 2011/12, Denel secured over R5 billion orders to be delivered over the next five years. The R700-million capitalisation of Denel Aerostructures will allow the company to prepare itself for the serial manufacturing phase of the A44M programme, which started in 2012/13. In 2012,
Denel delivered the last six fully certified and combat-ready Rooivalk helicopters to the SANDF. In April 2012, 22 of the 26 new Gripen combat aircraft were operational. By the end of 2012, the SAAF had received all 26 Gripens from Swedish manufacturer Saab and the aircarft were stationed at the Makhado Air Force Base in Limpopo.
Also during April 2012, an air force delegation participated in a multinational flying exercise, Operation Lion Effort, in Sweden. The first group of student fighter pilots of the Gripen Fighter Weapon School was expected in late 2013. The SAAF base in the Overberg in the Western Cape is to be the training ground for the new recruits.In September 2012, Denel and Airbus Military signed a new agreement with revised terms for manufacturing aircraft components on the A400M, in a development that will contribute significantly to Denel's financial turnaround. The relationship between Airbus and Denel takes the country another step towards the growth of a fully fledged South African aerospace industry. Government has also demonstrated its confidence in the future of the company through a capital injection of R700 million in 2012.
Intelligence services
In June 2012, the Department of State Security completed the last phase of the restructuring process of the State Security Agency (SSA), which was established in 2009. The mandate of SSA is to provide government with intelligence on domestic, foreign or potential threats to national stability, the constitutional order, and the safety and wellbeing of its people. This enables government to implement and improve policies to deal with potential threats and to better understand existing threats.
Military veterans
The Department of Military Veterans is responsible for managing and administering military veterans' affairs. Significant strides have been made by the Department to reshape and address the plight of military veterans. The SANDF dedicated 2012 to its military veterans, and celebrated the 50th anniversary of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
The department had been providing health services to older military veterans since 2010 and about 2 500 military veterans on the department's database to receive health benefits. The department also assisted the umbrella body for military veteran associations to set up the Military Veterans Appeal Board and the Military Veterans Advisory Council across the country.Source: Pocket Guide to South Africa 2012/13
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