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Internal security and crime prevention are primarily the responsibility of the South African Police Service (SAPS), while the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is responsible for defending South Africa against external military threats. Safety and SecurityThe SAPS Act, 1995 (Act 68 of 1995), provides for an accountable, impartial, transparent, community-oriented and cost-effective police service, which maintains high standards of professionalism. The Act also provides for a civilian Ministerial secretariat, community police forums and boards, and an independent complaints directorate. General provisions of the Act include the right of police officers to join a political party, but prohibit them from holding office in any political party. The following three structures fall under the Minister for Safety and Security, Mr Charles Nqakula: Secretariat for Safety and Security In terms of the SAPS Act, 1995, the functions of the Secretariat for Safety and Security are, among other things, to:
The Secretary for Safety and Security is responsible for the effective functioning of the Secretariat. Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) The ICD was established in terms of the Interim Constitution of South Africa, 1993 (Act 200 of 1993), to investigate complaints of alleged criminality and misconduct against members of the SAPS. The primary role of the ICD is to ensure that complaints about offences and misconduct committed in the SAPS are investigated in an effective manner. It is governed by Chapter 10 of the SAPS Act, 1995. The ICD has additional mandates in respect of monitoring the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, 1998 (Act 116 of 1998), by the SAPS and in respect of civilian oversight over Municipal Policing Services. The ICD is mandated to investigate all deaths in police custody or as a result of police action. An investigation is conducted to determine whether there are any indications of criminal conduct by the Police. Where there are no indications of criminal conduct, the matter is left to the Police themselves to investigate while the ICD monitors/supervises the investigation. If information is subsequently received indicating that there was criminal conduct on the part of the Police, the ICD takes control and conducts a full investigation. Upon completion of an investigation, the ICD may make recommendations to the Director of Public Prosecutions about the prosecution of any SAPS member(s) implicated. It may also make recommendations to the SAPS management with regard to the departmental prosecution of a police member. The ICD is compelled by law to investigate complaints or reports of deaths in police custody or as a result of police action. The ICD reports to Parliament through the Minister for Safety and Security. However, it is operationally independent from the SAPS. The number of complaints falling within the mandate of the ICD and dealt with during 2001/02 amounted to 3 348, representing an increase of 14,2% compared to the 2000/01 financial year. The number of deaths in custody or as a result of police action during 2001/02 was 610, representing a decrease of 9,1% compared to 2000/01 when 671 deaths were recorded. South African Police Service (SAPS)The key aims and programmes of the SAPS are based on the objectives provided for in Section 205 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996), which determines the powers, functions and duties of the Police. The objectives of the Police Service are to:
Apart from the Constitution, the SAPS Act 1995, numerous other Acts, and the common law also provide for the powers, functions and duties of the Police Service. Specific National Orders ensure that these responsibilities are exercised in a uniform and efficient manner. There are numerous statutory provisions that provide for the powers, functions and duties of the police, which do not directly relate to the objectives of the SAPS as set out in Section 205 of the Constitution, 1996. These include the administration of specific Acts such as the Arms and Ammunition Act, 1969 (Act 75 of 1969), the Second-hand Goods Act, 1955 (Act 12 of 1955), and the Explosives Act, 1956 (Act 26 of 1956). Also included are administrative powers, functions and duties in terms of legislation that is administered by other departments, for example, Section 70 of the Land Bank Act, 1944 (Act 13 of 1944), and Section 4 of the Performing Animal Protection Act, 1935 (Act 24 of 1935). The SAPS strives to:
The SAPS is headed by a national commissioner, assisted by three deputy national commissioners. At the end of May 2002, the Service had a staff complement of 121 613, including members appointed under the SAPS Act, 1995 and staff appointed in terms of the Public Service Act, 1984 (Act 111 of 1984). Key strategic focus areas The National Security Policy was developed for the SAPS to fulfil its mandate as described. The Policy is aimed at integrating crime prevention and crime-combating activities with socio-economic upliftment. To implement this Policy, three phases were identified: a short-term stabilisation phase (2000 2003), a medium-term normalisation phase (2003 2005), and a long-term socio-economic development phase (2000 2020). The first two phases are the primary responsibility of the SAPS in co-operation with other role-players, but in the socio-economic development phase the SAPS plays only a supporting and advisory role to departments in the Social Cluster. The National Security Policy is co-ordinated by the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster. The JCPS Cluster comprises, among other departments, Safety and Security (SAPS), the SANDF, Correctional Services, Justice, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), South African Secret Service (SASS), South African Revenue Service (SARS), Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs. The main objective of the Cluster is jointly to focus their endeavours and resources on addressing the incidence of crime, public disorder, inefficiency in the justice system, and all aspects of society that impact negatively on development. To realise this, the JCPS Cluster has identified several strategic interventions, which are categorised under the following themes:
On 1 April 2000, the National Crime Combating Strategy (NCCS), with its unique geographic and organised crime approaches, was launched. The aim was to stabilise the 20 crime trends in South Africa within three years, to push these downwards in slight but sustainable decreases over the next two years, and to normalise all 20 crime trends over the subsequent 15 years. Through a geographic approach, the NCCS began to focus on 145 of the 1 130 police stations in South Africa, which generate more than 50% of the reports on crime in South Africa. During 2000/01, all these stations were empowered by implementing the Geographic Information System and appointing analysts to analyse the crime in these precincts on a daily basis to focus all policing activities and scarce resources (special operations, patrols, roadblocks, surveillance actions, etc.). Where possible, organised crime at station level is identified through matrix analysis. The information is then chanelled to higher levels of policing to establish whether it links with other information at area, provincial and national level. The JCPS Cluster has managed to achieve the stabilisation of crime in most of the 145 stations. Despite the target of three years being set to stabilise crime in these high-crime areas, the JCPS Cluster managed to do so in a year's time, ending 2001. As from 2002, crime-combating mechanisms were established to include Crime Combating and Response units (increasing road-blocks and searches and impacting on gang violence, taxi violence, faction-fighting and bank and cash-in-transit robberies), as well as 50 Sector Policing units (assisted by Metropolitan Police) in remaining areas with the highest crime weight. Crime generators and specific crimes such as rape, murder and the availability of illegal firearms continue to receive dedicated attention. Special projects will include arresting wanted persons, addressing cellphone theft, addressing the influence of illicit drugs, improving border control, reducing case backlogs (rolling out the Court Centre Project), and reducing overcrowding in prisons. Major events, which depended on the JCPS Cluster's involvement, included the Non-aligned Movement Ministers' Meeting, African Union Inaugural Summit, World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and the 31st Ordinary Session on the Commission for People and Human Rights. Members of the SAPS serve in the following specialised divisions, rendering services to specific sectors of the community: Crime Intelligence and Crime Detectives:
Operational Services:
Management Support Services:
Division: Detective Service By June 2002, the Detective Service was in the final stages of reorganisation to ensure its alignment with the multidisciplinary approach adopted by the SAPS. During the two phases of the process, 278 specialised units were closed. Twenty-four organised crime units with 723 members and 17 commercial branches and one Serious Economic Offences unit with 612 members were established. These newly established units will ensure that the operational police priorities such as organised crime, serious and violent crime and commerce-related crime will receive priority. Investigations into organised crime will be intelligence-driven by focusing more on crime syndicates and not only on specific crimes. During the closing of the specialised units, more than 1 100 investigators were reassigned to the Detective Service on police station level to strengthen policing at local level. Some 1 360 constables will be enlisted for the Detective Service in 2002/03 and 370 constables for the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units. These enlistments will continue for the 2002 2004 financial years and it is expected that the shortages in personnel resources experienced by the Detective Service will decrease extensively. The SAPS is an active member of Interpol, comprising 179 member countries. Twelve liaison officers, whose purpose it is to render effective service delivery in respect of international crime-related liaison and intelligence functions, serve at South African missions abroad. Criminal Record Centre (CRC) The primary function of the CRC as part of Detective Services is to identify and verify previous convictions of criminals and offenders. A total of 13 112 suspects were identified manually from crime scenes in 2001. The local CRCs have visited 342 269 crime scenes to perform specialist investigations. Some 1 192 facial compositions were made. Major successes were achieved in the identification and linking of firearms to crime scenes by means of the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS). The Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) was launched in Pretoria on 24 January 2002. The AFIS is a computerised database containing the details of over 4,6 million convicted criminals. It replaces the manual system that has been in use by the Police for over a century. The AFIS is already operational at the central site in Pretoria, as well as 16 other sites. It is in the process of being decentralised to 35 sites country-wide. One of the added advantages of the AFIS is the Morpho Touch. This handheld device, the size of a cellular telephone, is equipped with a scanner used for the scanning of fingerprints. The scanned fingerprints are then compared to the AFIS database, which determines whether or not the particular person is a wanted suspect. The Morpho Touch is used at border posts, road-blocks and other police operations. Forensic Science Laboratory Technological advances have been incorporated into the scientific support environment of the SAPS. This includes the introduction of the IBIS, the DNA Criminal Intelligence Database, Voice Comparison System Operative and the National Drug Intelligence Database. The National Photo Image System will be implemented to increase the investigative capacity of the SAPS by creating a digital photo album for identification purposes, and to manage exhibits. The System is expected to be completed in March 2003. National Bureau for Missing Persons On 26 June 2001, the SAPS became the first police service in Africa to launch a missing children website . It became the 11th country in the world to harness computer technology in the search for missing children. The National Bureau for Missing Persons was established in 1994 by the SAPS. As a community-orientated service, the main purpose of the Bureau is not to take the investigation of a missing person into their own hands, but to render a support service to the investigating officer. This support entails the running of a database where all the parti-culars of a missing person such as tattoos, scars, hair colour, eye colour, etc. are stored. This database is situated on a mainframe, and is accessible to every police official in the country. The Bureau has state-of-the-art computer equipment, which enables it to store photos of missing persons on the same database. Such photos can be scanned in at any of the six offices of the Bureau, saved to the database, and be available virtually anywhere in the country. This enables the Bureau to get a photo of a missing child who is suspected of being kidnapped broadcast on national television within a short period of time. Any information received at the Crime Stop line is handed over to the investigator to follow up. Division: Crime Intelligence This Division's task is to manage effectively the crime intelligence capacity of the SAPS. Its functions include:
The SAPS has succeeded in destroying large amounts of arm caches in Mozambique, through the efforts of dedicated covert intelligence operations. The greatest challenge that the Division faces is narcotics trafficking. The sophisticated nature and relative wealth of drug syndicates require adopting an even more sophisticated approach. Through the SAPS' organised crime-threat analysis, the Division accurately identified the counter-measures necessary to root out this problem. Corruption and organised crime are intertwined. While it remains the primary responsibility of every department to flush out corruption and corrupt elements, Crime Intelligence continues to play an active role. The Divisional Commissioner of Crime Intelligence represents the SAPS on the National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee (NICOC). The Division continues to fulfil the obligations of the SAPS in terms of the National Strategic Intelligence Act, 1994 (Act 39 of 1994). This Act predominantly relates to the supply of national strategic intelligence to NICOC for use by national clients, including the President, Cabinet and its committees. The Division is equipped and active in all dimensions of the intelligence cycle, including gathering, analysis, co-ordinating and disseminating, as well as the additional functions of counter-intelligence within the SAPS and specialist technical support. Division: Legal Services Section 206(1) of the Constitution provides that the Minister for Safety and Security must determine National Policing Policy after consultation with provincial governments. For the SAPS to ensure that those constitutional imperatives are properly met, the services of legal practitioners in the SAPS are an essential requirement. The conduct and management of effective policing universally has a lot to do with implementing government legislation and more often than not the enforcement of government policy is challenged. These challenges are in the domain, and, ultimately, the responsibility of the SAPS in terms of its policing mandate. The interpretation of Acts to reflect the working methods and procedures within which the SAPS can regulate the conduct of its employees, demands legal expertise. Subsequently, Legal Services have been encapsulated in the various divisions at both national and provincial level. Division: Operational Response Services The functions of the Division include:
Air-supported Reaction Forces Air-supported Reaction Forces, as part of the Division: Operational Response Services, were established in Gauteng and have been extended to the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. They act as quick-response units to incidents of serious and violent crimes such as bank robberies, vehicle hijackings and farm attacks. Air support is also used for aerial surveillance purposes. Satellite-tracking systems have been installed in all SAPS aircraft to enhance the capacity to deal effectively with the theft and hijacking of vehicles. Additional purchases are to be made in 2005. By mid-2002, the fleet consisted of 25 aircrafts. Police divers and water wing Police divers respond to incidents of which most are related to drowning. Divers and vessel handlers also participate in crime prevention and community safety-related activities. They also assist flood-stricken areas. Support is also rendered at public events such as the Midmar Mile, Berg River and Duzi canoe marathons. Division: Crime Prevention The Division: Crime Prevention aims to reduce opportunities to commit crime by optimising visible policing. Apart from the significant function the Division fulfils during the policing of important events in co-operation with the Division: Operational Response Services, the Division: Crime Prevention is also responsible for victim support programmes. Furthermore, the Division is responsible for developing and maintaining a safe working environment for members of the SAPS and developing, maintaining and monitoring policy standards and directives regarding crime prevention and uniformed services in general. Community policing has been adopted as the official policing style in South Africa. Various endeavours have been embarked upon to institutionalise community policing, and significant progress has been made. Since the beginning of 1998, a comprehensive programme has been launched to train all members of the Service in the philosophy, values and principles of community policing. This policing style is based on the premise that a community and its police service are equal partners with shared responsibilities in ensuring safety and security. Sector policing has also been identified as one of the prioritised focus areas. A pilot project has been launched in the Johannesburg area to develop sector policing. This being a practical manifestation of community policing, at least one sector has been established within each of the wards at Johannesburg's police stations. The basic concept consists of at least one police official being allocated on a full-time basis to a sector (i.e. geographically manageable area within a police precinct) for which he/she is responsible to enhance safety and security. Crucial to the successful implementation of this concept is the involvement of all role-players in identifying the policing needs in that particular sector and in addressing the root causes of crime as well as the enabling and contributing factors. The responsibilities of the sector police official also include:
Practical Guide to Partnership Policing An interdepartmental domestic violence programme, which was established in 1999 and led the process of implementing the Domestic Violence Act, 1998 is still in place. This programme now focuses on continued service-delivery improvement of all the relevant departments. The training of SAPS members in the implementation of the Act is a continuing process. The Division: Crime Prevention is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Act and submitting biannual reports to Parliament in this regard. The SAPS also continues its communication campaign in support of the implementation of the Act. Posters and 'z-cards' were developed during 2001/02. The Division: Crime Prevention further aims to optimise Community Service centres and Police Emergency Services, (10111 call centres, Flying Squad and Highway Patrol). Best practices and national standards were determined for implementation at all Community Service centres to enhance service delivery. A Performance Chart was also developed for implementation at all police stations country-wide. Police Emergency Services focus on enhancing the skills and knowledge of all personnel performing functions in the SAPS 10111 call centres, as well as installing technology to support the effective functioning of the centres to assist the community at large. A new operational model for implementation at Police Emergency Services was developed and capacity-building within the Flying Squad and the Highway Patrol received attention. This will contribute to an enhanced response to priority and serious crimes and the creation of a safe and secure environment. A Rural Safety Programme that is informed by the specific dynamics of rural areas has also been developed. The crime prevention strategy in this instance involves a number of rural stakeholders such as women's groups, traditional leaders, agricultural unions and farm labourers, as well as the law enforcement agency. It is aimed at understanding the criminal dynamics that manifest directly in rural areas, and developing interventions to deal with the specific elements. The next focus area will involve all rural partners, within the context of the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme. The discussion document and the experience gained from pilot interventions will be developed into a Rural Crime Prevention Strategy. Police Safety The Directorate: Police Safety established within the SAPS to develop safety measures to protect the lives of police officials, has implemented various mechanisms. Safety Guidelines have been instituted to sensitise officers to their own safety. Furthermore, Police Safety Provincial Plans have been compiled in all the provinces, highlighting specific organisational safety measures, including physical security aspects. The Community and Police Safety Campaign has been launched that will follow a two-pronged approach to focus first on the organisational concepts of police safety and, secondly, on establishing Community Support Mechanisms/Structures. These Mechanisms/ Structures will address the specific risks and circumstances applicable within the different policing areas and stations. Reservists The National Instruction for the South African Reserve Police Service has been approved and circulated within the SAPS. This Instruction is an official guideline focusing on all issues regarding reservists. It will assist the Service in attaining its target of recruiting 30 000 reservists in the four categories of reservists that have been identified, namely:
The identification of different categories will encourage members of the community to enrol and join the South African Reserve Police Service and render the service of their choice within the ambit of the different categories. Hostage negotiation The SAPS Hostage Negotiation Team responds to hostage and suicide incidents. Hostage negotiators are deployed nationally at station level, ensuring a quick response to incidents. Most of these incidents are suicide-related. Basic hostage and suicide negotiation courses were presented during 2001. The United States Embassy assisted the SAPS in arranging a hostage negotiation course in New Mexico presented by the US Department of State. Twenty-three hostage negotiators attended the course. On completion, the US Department of State donated a hostage phone system for use by SAPS hostage negotiators. The second International Negotiation Conference was hosted by the SAPS Hostage Negotiation Team in November 2001. Captain Crime Stop and Adopt-a-Cop The SAPS continues to implement the Captain Crime Stop and Adopt-a-Cop programmes. The Adopt-a-Cop programme aims to establish a relationship with schools with regard to crime prevention and educates children about crime including issues like drug and alcohol abuse. Crime Stop is the most community-oriented service rendered by the SAPS. The SAPS, through Crime Stop, involves the community in the active fight against crime without subjecting them to the dangers of apprehending criminals or suspects. The community is invited to report any information on criminal activity anonymously to the share-call number 08600 10111. The aim of the Captain Crime Stop Campaign is to educate children about personal safety, including child abuse. The Campaign targets nursery school children between the ages of three and six years, and primary school children from grades one to seven. The Campaign creates an awareness among children of the share-call service number and the emergency telephone number of the SAPS (08600 10111). Division: Management Services The purpose of this Division is to ensure the effective functioning of the Service according to the mission, priorities and objectives of the SAPS. The Division's duties include:
The Service Delivery Improvement Process (SDIP) continuous to ensure the improvement of service at all levels of the organisation. The SDIP has evolved into a programme that ensures the availability of trained facilitators and management teams, and the development of strategic and implementation plans at various levels within the SAPS. The SDIP is primarily employed at station level to identify both crime and organisational priorities. Stations are rated according to their performance during the financial year, mainly on the basis of identified priorities. In accordance with the mission and service standards of the SAPS, the purpose of the programme is to develop the skills and knowledge required by members during the rendering of service, enabling them consistently to:
To succeed in the SDIP, members are expected to demonstrate certain skills. They have to be able to locate, interpret and appropriately apply the national law in accordance with the Constitution and the SAPS Act, 1995. Division: Evaluation Services The Division: Evaluation Services was established during 2001 and is primarily responsible for evaluating the quality of service rendered by the SAPS. The focus is on evaluating the operational and organisational functions of the SAPS and reporting findings and recommendations regarding remedial measures directly to top management for consideration. Other functions include the internal investigation of priority cases of misconduct by SAPS members, investigating complaints of poor service delivery, performing internal audits and conducting inspections with regard to occupational health and safety standards within the SAPS. Division: Training This Division aims to ensure that training from entry level onwards occurs in accordance with the needs of the organisation. During 2001/02, the Division strategically focused its education, training and development skills priorities in line with the National Strategic Priorities of the SAPS. These skills priorities included the following:
In the area of research, design and the development of learning programmes, the focus was on carrying out a learning needs analysis for supervisors, operational managers and middle managers in the SAPS; an impact assessment of the existing programmes on these levels; and the establishment of a facility responsible for management and leadership development in the SAPS. The SAPS' provisioning focus was on the optimisation of crime statistics, operational training, functional training, detective training, crime intelligence training, management and leadership development and human resource development. A total of 4 711 courses were held with 58 000 members undergoing training. During 2001/02, 2 378 members were trained in the Crime Administration System and 810 members were trained in counting rules, crime definitions and crime-information analysis. The SAPS' strategic focus for 2002/03 is directed at enhancing service delivery. The SAPS' strategic skills priorities include the following:
The SAPS' basic training programme is being aligned to new policing imperatives and lessons learnt from the changing policing environment. All the current training programmes are being reviewed and revised according to the Outcomes-based Education, Training and Development Framework of the South African Qualifications Authority. The SAPS' main training focus for 2002/03 is basic training. The SAPS trained 7 100 new students since June 2002 at Pretoria, Oudtshoorn, Graaff-Reinet, Bisho and Chatsworth as well as Maleoskop, Slagboom and Jakkalsdans. Training provisioning in the areas of optimisation of crime statistics, detective training, crime intelligence, crime prevention, operational response and human resource development is continuing. Division: Personnel Services By May 2002, the SAPS had a staff complement of approximately 121 600 employees. It will increase its staff to 147 000 over the next three financial years. The Division: Personnel Services is responsible for managing personnel-related matters in support of the operational priorities of the SAPS. The Division's functions entail the:
Division: Career Management The function of this Division is to render a people-centred human resource service to all personnel and ensure their optimal utilisation. The Division comprises the following components:
SAPS Strategic Focus, 2002 2005 In terms of government policy and the National Security Policy, and after considering the national crime intelligence estimate, crime information and crime pattern analysis, the Strategic Focus for 2002 2005 was developed and implemented. A geographical approach and an organised crime-combating strategy were developed, and multidisciplinary crime-combating teams established to deal with the elements of serious and violent crime, as well as organised crime in identified areas. Four main categories of crime have been identified in the SAPS' strategic and operational plan for the next four years, namely:
The Department has also identified two key organisational priorities for the medium term:
The Strategic Plan follows a multidisciplinary approach that directs managerial, human and logistical resources to all areas where crime is disproportionately high. The Department has identified approximately 145 areas accounting for more than 50% of serious crimes committed. The National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS) The NCPS started with 14 initial projects, some focusing on areas that were in need of immediate attention, such as the Integrated Justice System (IJS), while others addressed specific areas of crime prevention, such as victim empowerment. Other initial projects included border control, an integrated security system, environmental design, vehicle crime and corruption. Many of these projects also have sub-issues. For example, the border control project has 19 ongoing activities, while the project on streamlining the IJS encompasses victim empowerment, organised crime, corruption, commercial crime, gangsterism and domestic violence. Special attention will be given to gang violence and gang activities in various parts of the country during 2002/03. An integrated task group was established in the Western Cape in January 2001 to implement the first phase of the Strategy. More than 250 suspects were arrested in January 2001 in connection with gang violence, including 14 arrests for murder, 10 for attempted murder and 11 for rape. Areas for new projects will centre around social crime and situational crime prevention. Social crime prevention will focus on the cycle of violence that begins with young children and continues into adulthood. Efforts to develop projects in conjunction with the departments of Health and Education are under way to reach young children in schools and at home. Situational crime prevention involves planning safer areas through, among other things, improved access and lighting. The SAPS Victim Empowerment Programme (VEP) Prior to 1994, services to victims were rendered primarily by NGOs working in the field of child and women abuse. In 1996, with the development of the NCPS, the Government prioritised the need for improved services to victims in the Criminal Justice System (CJS), and acknowledged that the absence of victim aid and empowerment plays an important role in the cyclical nature of crime and violence. The NCPS advocates a victim-centred approach to crime and crime prevention, and makes specific provision for an intersectoral programme to improve services to victims. This Programme, called the NCPS VEP, is led by the Department of Social Development and includes role-players such as the SAPS, the departments of Justice and Constitutional Development, Health, Correctional Services, and Education, as well as NGOs, community-based organisations and academics in the field of victim empowerment. The Programme aims to empower victims of crime and violence by:
The White Paper on Safety and Security: 1999 2004 also emphasises the need for improved services to victims. The Department of Safety and Security views victimisation as a violation of human rights. It subscribes to the United Nations (UN) Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power, which clearly states that victims have the right to be treated with respect and dignity; the right to offer and receive information; the right to be given legal advice; and the right to protection, compensation or restitution. Victim empowerment has also been included as a national priority in the annual priorities and objectives of the SAPS, and forms an integral part of community policing. Operations Operation Rachel Through bilateral co-operation and assistance from national and international donors, the SAPS and the Mozambican Police Service have, in continuous operations over a number of years, destroyed weapons, mostly small arms and light weapons throughout Mozambique. These operations, named Rachel, have a stabilising effect on Mozambique, and ensure that these weapons do not land on the illegal market or in the hands of criminals in the region. By mid-2002, the most recent Operation Rachel had just been concluded and had been as successful as its predecessors. The SAPS has, during the past five years, also negotiated, finalised and signed co-operation agreements with a number of countries. Operation Crackdown Crime-combating task groups were established in March 2000 to focus on serious and violent crimes in the 76 areas identified as high-crime zones. The task groups conduct intelligence-driven operational interventions according to the specific crime threat analysis of each zone. This is done in addition to the usual policing activities in affected areas. The focus on specific crime areas to address serious and violent crimes is referred to as the geographical approach. The other leg of Operation Crackdown involves the organised crime approach, in terms of which organised crime syndicates are investigated through intelligence-driven operations carried out by task teams under the command of experienced detectives. In addition to these stabilising interventions, other measures have been instituted. The Firearm Strategy was introduced to combat the proliferation of firearms, and the Domestic Violence Act, 1998, was implemented to combat crimes against women and children. The SAPS is also involved in various social crime-prevention initiatives in co-operation with the Social Cluster departments to address the underlying causes of crime and the factors that exacerbate violent crime. Between January 2001 and 8 May 2002, 524 419 arrests were made, of which 216 322 were related to serious crime. Approximately 17 294 firearms were confiscated and 10 826 vehicles recovered during Crackdown operations. Operation Tsípa Analysis of crime statistics has shown that a number of areas throughout the country have moved on from stabilisation to a phase where crime can be reduced by means of intensive crime-prevention operations. Operation Tsípa was conceptualised as a special targeted operation within Operation Crackdown in those precincts where stabilisation was still not achieved (45 of the initial 145 identified priority stations or precincts). As a special operation, Operation Tsípa began on 28 January 2002 and concluded on 15 March 2002. It was a joint operation between the SAPS and other role-players and was carried out by multidisciplinary teams comprising members from various SAPS units, and assisted where necessary by members of the SANDF, the Department of Home Affairs, local traffic departments, SARS, other relevant government departments and local municipalities. By mid-2002, Operation Tsípa had led to 29 416 arrests, the confiscation of 994 firearms and the recovery of 1 261 stolen vehicles. Rural Protection Plan (RPP) The RPP was implemented by NICOC during 1997. The objective of the RPP is to protect rural communities, and more specifically those living and working on farms and smallholdings. The RPP is based on the involvement of all possible role-players concerned with rural safety and is structured to co-ordinate all these role-players in terms of joint planning, operational activities, preventative measures, monitoring and training. The RPP comprises two main legs:
Farm attacks are low in areas where the farming community support the plan. In a proactive effort to prevent attacks in rural communities, the RPP is now fully integrated into the intelligence-driven Operation Akantus II, which focuses on the combating of farm attacks. Rapid Deployment Stability Force The National Rapid Deployment Stability Force was established late in 2001 for deployment in all provinces. This Force supports local police in flashpoint areas in instances where normal policing is not adequate to deal with incidents of major public disorder, serious and violent crime, and disaster management. Such deployment is maintained until the situation has been stabilised. The Rapid Deployment Stability Force is supported by the SANDF and 43 SAPS intervention units, which operate at area level and serve all police areas in the country. Projects and partnerships A major objective of community policing is to establish active partnerships between the SAPS and the community through which problems regarding crime, service delivery and police-community relations can jointly be analysed, and appropriate solutions designed and implemented. This requires that the Police should constantly strive to create an atmosphere in which potential partners are willing and able to co-operate. Many station commissioners are realising the benefits of this approach, and have reaped remarkable successes by actively involving the community in identifying and addressing local crime priorities and other 'burning issues'. Reject and report stolen goods The former Minister for Safety and Security, the late Mr Steve Tshwete, in co-operation with the National Commissioner of the SAPS, Commissioner Jackie Selebi, launched a national campaign in Katlehong, Gauteng, on 2 April 2001, encouraging members of the public to reject and report stolen goods. The campaign discourages members of the public from accepting or purchasing stolen goods by alerting them to the victimisation and human suffering it causes, as well as the impact on the economy. Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (Act 2 of 2000) With the commencement of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000, in March 2001, certain obligations were imposed on the SAPS. One of these obligations is to designate employees as deputy information officers. To fulfil the obligations imposed on the Service by this Act, deputy information officers have been designated on national level and for each division at Head Office, for every province, area and police station. Crime statistics An analysis of reported crime trends clearly indicates that the NCCS, from January to September 2001, continued its successful implementation. Several positive trends emerged during the first nine months of 2001. Except in the case of theft and robbery (which are still a major concern), all 17 other crime categories have at least stabilised during the first 18 months of the implementation of the NCCS. The ultimate aim of the NCCS is to stabilise crime within three years. Stabilisation occurred in more policeable crimes as a whole, namely housebreaking (both residential and business premises), theft of motor vehicles, theft out of and from motor vehicles and stock-theft. Murder decreased by 4,9% between 2000 and 2001. Robbery with aggravating circumstances and other forms of robbery increased significantly by 7,6% and 4,5% respectively. All indications are that robberies of cellular telephones are mainly responsible for this. Gauteng has the highest occurrence of theft (30,5%), robbery (37,1%) and robbery with aggravated circumstances (22,0%). Significant increases in more policable crimes in the 145 Crackdown stations were stabilised during the first 18 months of the NCCS. In the second quarter (July September 2000), 68 of the 145 stations (47%) were still above the upper limit of a standard deviation calculated on the basis of reported serious crime since 1996. Ten of the 145 police stations have since succeeded in either stabilising or even decreasing their serious crime. DefenceThe Constitution, the Defence Act, 1957 (Act 44 of 1957), the White Paper on Defence and the Defence Review mandate the Department of Defence. These Acts and policies direct and guide the functions of the Department of Defence and the SANDF. The Department of Defence is likely to play an increasingly important role in regional security management in the future. Its participation will impact favourably and substantially on the state of, especially, military security within South Africa. The Department's vision is therefore to ensure, in accordance with the Constitution, effective defence of South Africa, enhancing national, regional and global security through balanced, modern, affordable and technologically-advanced defence capabilities. The mission of the Department is to provide, manage, prepare and employ defence capabilities commensurate with the needs of South Africa as regulated by the Constitution, national legislation, as well as parliamentary and executive direction. Legislation Defence Bill This Bill aims to regulate the defence function. Discussions on this Bill by the Portfolio Committee started in 2001 and continued in 2002. National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) Bill This Bill is intended to establish the NCACC as a legal body. The Committee controls the services and brokering of conventional arms. Defence Acquisition Bill This Bill will replace the Armaments Development and Production Act, 1968 (Act 57 of 1968). The Bill wil be aligned with current national and defence policy, which pronounces the role, function, accountability, management and operations of the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor). The Bill was expected to be tabled in Parliament during the second quarter of 2002. Military Discipline Bill This Bill consolidates various separate legislative instruments such as the Military Discipline Supplementary Measures Act, 1999 (Act 16 of 1999), Chapter XI, and the First Schedule of the Defence Act, 1957. The Bill is also intended to obviate future constitutional challenges by eliminating those provisions of current legislation not in line with the Constitution. It was expected to be introduced in 2002. Prohibition on Anti-personnel Mines Bill The Bill aims to give effect to the international Mines Ban Treaty to which South Africa is a party. It is intended to provide for appropriate legal and administrative measures to suppress any activity that may be in contravention of pro-visions of the Treaty. The Bill also prescribes penal sanctions against those who contravene or who engage in prohibited activities. Functions of the SANDF The primary objective of the SANDF is to defend and protect South Africa, its territorial integrity and its people in accordance with the Constitution and the principles of interna-tional law regulating the use of force. The Constitution provides that the SANDF may be deployed for service in:
The SANDF exercises its powers and performs its functions solely in the national interest in terms of the Constitution, 1996. Tasks of the SANDF The SANDF's Military Strategic Objectives are to:
At operational level, forces have to be structured and prepared to deal with specific tasks. Each of these places demands on the capabilities of the Department of Defence. The tasks of the SANDF as agreed upon in the Defence Review as arranged under the Military Strategic Objectives are as follows:
Corporate Strategy The Department of Defence's Corporate Strategy is based upon the National Security Strategy. To execute the Department's mission as derived from its mandate, an updated and detailed departmental strategy, based on the Constitution, Defence Review and White Paper on Defence, has been developed. The Department's Corporate Strategy consists of the Business Strategy and the Military Strategy. The Business Strategy informs the way in which the Department will conduct its business as a State department while the Military Strategy indicates the way in which the SANDF prepares for and executes its missions. The Military Strategy has a number of strategies emanating from it, namely the Forces Employment Strategy, Provide Forces Strategy and its supporting strategies. Business Strategy The Business Strategy of the Department consists of those strategies, plans and measures taken to ensure:
The Business Strategy therefore enables the execution of the Military Strategy and its sub-strategies, the Force Employment and Provide Forces strategies. Military Strategy The Military Strategy of South Africa is derived from the Constitution, Defence Review, White Paper on Defence and the National Security Strategy. The reintegration of South Africa into the world and in particular African society since 1994, has resulted in far-reaching changes to national security and defence. This has been further guided by the ongoing human and cultural transformation of society and government's drive to improve the way in which it does its business. The Department of Defence is therefore engaged in a process of reviewing and reformulating both its Business and Military strategies to ensure full alignment with the new realities. Military Strategic Objectives These Objectives cover the full range of military and other ordered commitments as follows:
Missions The SANDF uses a mission-based approach to achieve the Military Strategic Objectives of the Department of Defence. This approach uses wartime and peacetime missions to direct the peacetime strategy for force preparation and to guide joint and combined force preparation and force employment for incidences of conflict. The prioritised missions envisaged for the next 10 years are:
Military Strategic Concepts The Military Strategic Concepts describe the procedures to be followed to meet the Military Strategic Objectives:
Military strategic capabilities The capabilities of the SANDF constitute the means of the Military Strategy and consists of:
Organisational structure The Department of Defence is a complex and unique organisation with a structure that is constantly under review to ensure alignment between the Department's strategic objectives, budget allocation, ordered commitments and likely missions. During 2002/03, the structure was as follows: Defence administration The Department of Defence adheres to the principles of civil control and oversight through the Minister of Defence, Mr Mosiuoa Lekota, the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) and the Defence Secretariat. While the Minister is responsible for providing political direction to the Department, the JSCD ensures that the Executive Authority (Minister of Defence) remains accountable to Parliament. However, for day-to-day administration and co-ordination of strategic processes, the Minister of Defence relies on the Defence Secretariat, which is the civilian leg of the Department. The Defence Secretariat is headed by the Secretary for Defence. The statutory powers and functions of the Chief of the SANDF and the Secretary for Defence are governed by the Defence Act, 1957 as amended. The Secretary for Defence's functions are to:
The functions of the Chief of the SANDF include, but are not limited to, the following:
Policy and planning One of the subprogrammes of the Defence Administration Programme is the Division: Policy and Planning. The Division comprises three subprogrammes, namely Defence Policy, Human Resource Policy and Strategic Management. The functions of this subprogramme include, but are not limited to, the following:
Government manages State business through programmes. The following are the Defence Administration subprogrammes:
Operations Conventional In the event of a conventional military threat against South Africa, the broad joint concept of operations will be as follows:
Non-conventional The broad non-conventional concepts of operations are as follows:
Operational commitments These include:
The Force Design of the SANDF is not to be adjusted to achieve this objective. The utility value of the available force is, however, to be used to maximum effect in the pursuance of this objective.
Other defence commitments Other defence commitments of the Department of Defence are to:
Management of transformation The Department of Defence has been undergoing a formal transformation process since 1996 through which a Transformation Project was registered. The Project's goals are to:
Force Employment In accordance with the 2002 approved Force Employment Strategy, the Force Employment structures are being revisited to make provision for rationalised Level 3 operational structures, in order to enhance command and control, cost-efficiency and functional differentiation at levels 2, 3 and 4 of the Joint Operations Division. This will ensure that the core Strategic Objectives of the Department are effectively addressed. It is foreseen that the five permanent Regional Joint Task Force Headquarters will be replaced by nine smaller Level 4 Regional Joint Task Force Tactical Headquarters, one in each province. If required, temporary Joint Task Force Headquarters may be created for specific operations. Combat-ready units are prepared, provided and supported, as required. Bases Bases are lower-level structures provided by all the Services. Units are generally clustered in or around bases, and share common facilities and services. Bases exercise administrative control but not command over attached units. In some cases, base commanders may also be type-formation commanders or task-force commanders for specific local operations or exercises. One force The 'one force' concept comprises the Regular and Reserve Force components of the SANDF. The Regular Force consists of highly trained soldiers to operate and maintain a core capability, sophisticated equipment and defence systems. The Reserve Force is the former part-time component of the SANDF. They are trained to bolster the core defence commitment. Other components will be the Army Conventional Reserve, the Army Territorial Reserve, which includes the commandos, the Air Force Reserve, the Naval Reserve and the SAMHS Reserve. The Army Territorial Reserve operates mainly in co-operation with other government departments, especially the SAPS. Approval has been granted for the expansion of the Defence Reserve Force divisions to include offices in 10 regions. These offices will carry out the mandate of Chief of Defence Reserve at regional level. This is aimed at involving Reserve Force members in the command, management and decision-making processes, and providing them with enhanced career development opportunities. Force preparation The Chiefs of the Services (Army, SAAF, Navy and SAMHS) are responsible for the 'provide forces' processes of their respective Services. Formations are basic building-blocks in this process. Each formation has its own commander. A formation includes, where practical, all units and support elements related to a specific user-system type. It is capable of providing a fully-supported user system to a commander responsible for the exercising and combat-readiness of land, air, maritime and military health capabilities, such as a brigade or division commander. A formation can provide the same service to a task force commander appointed by the Chief of Joint Operations. This is a considerable improvement in cost-effectiveness, while it also provides the best way of retaining core defence capabilities, especially expertise in critical mass function. Some examples of formations established by the different Services are:
A formation's specific geographical location depends on where its combat and support units are concentrated. Force support Support formations are intermediate structures with their own formation commanders. Their task is to provide combat support to type formations and other system structures. Their nature and functions are generally similar to those of type formations, except that they do not provide combat-ready forces. Important developments Integration The termination of the Integration Intake Bill together with a constitutional amendment and an amendment to the Demobilisation Act, 1996 (Act 99 of 1996), aim formally and legally to bring the integration and demobilisation process to an end. Provision is made, however, for members whose names are on the Certified Personnel Register and are granted amnesty, to be considered for integration. Subject to the promulgation of the draft legislation, a final intake of former non-statutory force members will be undertaken. A Code of Conduct, which will be signed by all top management members, has been formulated. A laminated pocket-size edition will be issued to every member. The Code is intended to capture the core values of the SANDF and is a vision of military professionalism in South Africa. It provides a normative basis for unity, morale and discipline. Military veterans The Military Veterans Affairs Act, 1999 (Act 17 of 1999), came into effect on 1 February 2001, and the Regulations in terms of the Act have been approved by the Minister of Defence for promulgation. The Minister has appointed the Chairperson and members of the Advisory Board on Military Veterans' Affairs from nominations received from the recognised military veterans' organisations. The President is designated the Patron-in-Chief of all military veterans in terms of the Act. The Board has made good progress and is involved in preparations for the launch of the new Military Veterans' Federation and hosting the World Veterans' Federation Congress in December 2003. Military veterans and the Department of Defence are involved in the Freedom Park Project at Salvokop in Pretoria, which will commemorate and celebrate the history of South Africa's struggle for freedom. Humanitarian relief As in the past, the SANDF participated in various disaster and human-relief operations throughout South Africa and the region in 2001/02. The SANDF assisted in various fire-fighting operations, rescue operations during maritime disasters along the coastline as well as the rescue of stranded hikers and mountaineers all over the country with the aid of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Downsizing and rightsizing The transformation of the Department's human resources entails two macro-processes, namely a reduction in the number of personnel (downsizing) and the attainment of the desired composition and ratios (right-sizing). The Defence Review guidelines, financial limitations and Parliamentary approval will determine the final force design and shape of the Department, as well as the size and composition of its human resources. The Department's full-time component has been reduced from a peak strength of 102 600 members in 1995/96 to 76 724 at 15 May 2002, amounting to a reduction of 25,22% over six years. The reduced strength has been achieved by making use of the following human resource reduction mechanisms: selective appointments, natural attrition (including voluntary termination of short-term contracts), voluntary severance packages and employer-initiated packages. Current projections indicate that, with the assistance of employer-initiated packages, the Department should be able to achieve the Defence Review guideline of a 70 000 full-time component by 2003. This should result in a decrease in personnel expenditure from the current 52% to 47% (excluding the Budget for the Strategic Defence Packages) of the Defence Budget. These reduction mechanisms also assisted the Department to improve the rightsizing of its human resources component, particularly in terms of representivity. On 15 May 2002, blacks comprised 74,7% and whites 25,3% of the full-time component. To accomplish the comprehensive rightsizing of the Department in terms of all the desired ratios at all levels, e.g. race, gender, disability, combat versus support ratio, full-time component versus Reserve Force ratio, and Defence Act personnel versus Public Service Act personnel ratio, there is a requirement, however, for a mobility/redeployment mechanism to enable the Department to reskill, redeploy and reintegrate members into civil society. The necessity to have a predominantly young, fit and healthy human resources composition, especially in the military component, as well as the requirement to retain scarce operational and functional expertise, will continue to be primary considerations in the Department's efforts to rightsize. Resettlement The Directorate: Separation has been established to ensure an efficient and cost-effective process to facilitate the re-entry of members from the military into civil society. A work group has been established to devise the mechanisms for the resettlement of rationalised members, both military and civilian. Structures within the personnel support environment, the SAMHS and the Service Corps will work together to facilitate the co-ordinated re-entry of rationalised personnel into society. Most of the Service Corps' training programmes are outsourced to training institutions accredited by the Department of Labour. The Reserve Component is committed to utilising the skills of all trained volunteers to the fullest to ensure that military training is not lost too soon. Peace support According to the White Paper on South African Participation in International Peace Missions, the SANDF continues to prepare for support in peace missions. Since 1999, the SANDF has established a reserve of military observers for deployment. These members are available as United Nations Military Observers (UNMILOBS), Military Liaison Officers (MLOs) and Staff Officers in Mission Headquarters. Trained personnel can be deployed to any AU or SADC mission for the same purposes. Since September 1999, one MLO has been deployed in Kampala, Uganda, as part of the UN Mission for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (MONUC I). Members rotate every six months. Since the beginning of 2001, nine SANDF members have been deployed to the AU Liaison Mission (OLMEE) and UN Mission for Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), respectively, and two members as MLOs to OLMEE and seven members to UNMEE, the latter including UNMILOBS and staff officers. The SANDF is contributing to the second phase of the UN Mission for the DRC (MONUC II) in terms of specialised elements. The SANDF Specialised Contingent comprises approximately 100 members, who are mainly responsible for air-cargo handling at the UN air terminals in the DRC. SANDF members are also occupying posts as staff officers in the MONUC Headquarters in Kinshasa. Since October 2001, South African troops have been deployed in Burundi to assist in the transformation process in that country. Troops were specifically deployed in Bujumbura to provide protection to politicians returning from exile to join transitional institutions that were set up in November 2001. Military observers are also deployed in Ethiopia and in the Comoros. Requirement of main equipment The first of the South African Navy's Valour Class patrol corvettes (F145) was officially named and launched in Germany in June 2002 by Ms Zanele Mbeki, wife of President Thabo Mbeki. The vessel, named SAS Amatola, was expected to be transferred to Simon's Town for the fitment of her weapon systems and combat suites in December 2002. She is expected to be handed over to the South African Navy in August 2004. This corvette is the first new warship for South Africa in 16 years. It is the first major war vessel ever designed specifically for South African conditions and waters. The expected delivery dates of the remaining three ships are SAS Isandlwana (F146) November 2004, SAS Spioenkop (F147) March 2005 and SAS Mendi (F148) May 2005. The Italian manufacturer Augusta will deliver 30 light utility helicopters, capable of carrying eight occupants, from 2004 onwards. After the exercising of the second option, which became effective at the end of March 2002, a total of 24 British Aerospace-produced dual-seat Hawk lead-in fighter trainers, customised for South African requirements, are due to be delivered in 2005. British Aerospace/SAAB will supply nine dual-seater Gripen JAS 39 advanced light fighter aircraft, also customised for South African needs, between 2007 and 2008. If the third and final option on the aircraft purchases is exercised in 2004, a further 19 single-seater Gripens will be acquired, with the first deliveries commencing in 2009. Facilities, land and environment Facilities, Land and Environmental Management in the Department of Defence strives for the efficient management of these entities. The Department has adopted the process of base conversion. The focus will be on the role and responsibilities of the military process of conversion aimed at assisting role-players in closing down and re-using military bases in a sustainable manner. The Military Integrated Training Range Guidebook provides military environmental managers with a process that will ensure long-term continuation of environmentally sound management practices while simultaneously enhancing the ability of the defence sector to sustain long-term and cost-effective range operations. The Department continues to demonstrate its responsibility as custodian of land entrusted to it through active co-operation in the land redistribution and restitution policies of government. It co-operated in a pilot study regarding the closing down and re-use of redundant military bases for the purposes of alternative economic land-use initiatives. These are aimed at achieving co-operative environmental governance as advocated in national environmental policies. Environment is a strategic issue in defence, and is awarded a high priority in all dealings in the military sector. The Department of Defence completed its First Draft Environmental Implementation Plan as required by the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act 107 of 1998), in June 2000. The national objective of the Plan is to promote co-operative governance around environmental management, through the alignment of governmental policies, plans and programmes and decisions in respect of the environment. The Environmental Implementation Plan for Defence also subscribes to global initiatives and action plans. On behalf of the Department, the Strategic Environmental Working Group is also developing an Environmental Policy Statement for Defence. This Statement will provide a framework for action and serve as a link between policy development and the operational needs of the Department. In addition, it will communicate the intentions and principles of the Department in relation to its overall environmental performance. Over the past decade, the Department has been rationalising its land portfolio and made one-third (close to a quarter million ha) of its original estate available for non-military use:
ArmamentsArmaments Corporation of South Africa (Armscor) The primary function of Armscor is to acquire defence products, mainly for the SANDF, and to co-manage, with the SANDF, the development of technologies for future weapon systems and products. It also manages the disposal of excess, forfeited, redundant, or surplus defence material for the SANDF and the subsidiary companies, which directly support defence technology and acquisition strategies. Armscor's secondary functions include providing tender board functions, acting as procurement secretariat, providing financial, quality and asset management services, as well as legal services, project security and arms-control compliance assurance. The net value of the Armscor Group's assets of R356,1 million on 31 March 2001 was slightly higher than the previous year's R336,9 million. Investments and cash form a substantial part of the assets, and are reserved to finance specific future obligations such as the replacement of capital equipment and promotion activities. The Armscor Group has 10 operating subsidiaries:
The activities of Armscor are mainly financed by an annual transfer payment from the Department of Defence, interest received on investments, hiring out some of their buildings, commission from stock sales, and income from subsidiaries. Armscor is currently listed as a Schedule 2 major public entity in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999. Actual and prospective changes to its powers and functions mean that an investigation has been initiated into whether it should be relisted as a Schedule 3 Part B Government Business Enterprise. Acquisition of arms is totally transparent. Armscor publishes the monthly Contracts Bulletin, which contains all requests for proposals and tenders awarded. An electronic bulletin updated daily is available to industry via a computer network. Denel Group of South Africa Denel (Pty) Ltd was established in 1992 and registered under the South African Companies Act, 1973 (Act 61 of 1973), thus operating as a profit-driven company with the State currently the sole shareholder. Part of government's restructuring programme of State-owned enterprises was to identify Strategic Equity Partners for Denel's Aerospace and Ordnance groups. Cabinet approved BAE SYSTEMS' acquisition of 30% equity in Denel, the formal agreement expected to be signed in the second half of 2002. In terms of government's restructuring plan, French company Turbomeca, part of the SNECMA group, earlier in 2002 acquired a majority equity in Denel Airmotive, thus forming a new company called Turbomeca Africa. The new company will manufacture engine components for Turbomeca, General Electric (GEAE), Rolls-Royce and Volvo, and will repair and overhaul certain types of Turbomeca, SNECMA and other engines. It is also now the only service centre for Turbomeca products on the African continent. Predicted turnover for Turbomeca Africa will be between R300 and R400 million per year. Turbomeca agreed to channel its Defence Industrial Participation obligations through the new company. As part of international work-share agreements already awarded to Denel, it supplies gearboxes and parts to Rolls-Royce and GEAE, as well as aerostructures for Gripen and Hawk aircraft to BAE SYSTEMS and Saab. It will soon manufacture under license the Agusta A109 Power and A119 Koala helicopters for AgustaWestland in terms of an agreement signed with Agusta SpA in January 2002. Over the years, Denel has substantially increased its export sales, which now account for more than 50% of its turnover. In some of its manufacturing sectors, the export sales figure reaches in excess of 80%. Denel consists of a number of predominantly defence-related divisions, employing some 10 500 people, with an annual turnover of around R3,75 billion. Denel's leading ordnance technologies, including projectiles and the M90 Bi-Modular Charge System for 155-mm artillery guns, find ready export markets in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and elsewhere. Its subsystems such as the Arachnida weapon management system, laser rangefinders and thermal-imaging equipment, have been accepted by NATO. Within the Denel Group, the systems and products which have been designed and developed, and maintained for the domestic and international market, range from:
From Denel's proven capabilities in defence technology development and manufacturing, it also emerged as a leader in commercial fields such as:
The National Conventional Arms Control Committee The NCACC consists of Ministers and Deputy Ministers, and oversees policy and sets control mechanisms for the South African arms trade. It ensures that arms trade policies conform to internationally accepted practices. Companies interested in exporting arms have to apply for export permits, after which the Ministry of Defence processes the application. It is also sent for scrutiny to the relevant government departments, such as Foreign Affairs or Trade and Industry. The applications are then referred to the various Directors-General to make a recommendation, whereafter the NCACC makes the final decision. An independent inspectorate ensures that all levels of the process are subject to independent scrutiny and supervision, and that they are conducted in accordance with the policies and guidelines of the NCACC. The inspectorate submits periodic reports to the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Defence. Intelligence servicesThere are two civilian intelligence structures, namely the NIA and the SASS. The NIA's mission is to proactively, professionally and impartially manage and provide the Government with domestic intelligence and counter-intelligence to enhance national security and defend the Constitution, the interests of the State and the well-being of the people of South Africa. The SASS is South Africa's foreign intelligence capacity. It is concerned with providing clients with accurate, policy-relevant and timeous foreign intelligence collected abroad with the intention to inform, forecast and advise on real and potential threats and opportunities to the country. The purpose of the intelligence process is to promote, enhance and protect the national and security interests of the country and its people. Executive control is exercised by a civilian Ministry and a Cabinet committee. The civilian intelligence services are accountable to the Minister of Intelligence, Dr Lindiwe Susulu, who reports to the Cabinet through the Cabinet Committee on Security and Intelligence Affairs. Parliament has also appointed a mechanism, the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, legislated in the Intelligence Services Control Act, 1994 (Act 40 of 1994), which is able to order investigations into the intelligence community's activities. In addition, the Constitution provides for protection against State abuse through the Public Protector and the Human Rights Commission. The objective of the intelligence community is to provide evaluated information with the following responsibilities in mind:
The National Strategic Intelligence Amendment Act, 1998 (Act 37 of 1998), allows South Africa to conduct a counter-intelligence service overseas, under the SASS. The Act also gives the Minister of Intelligence a seat on the National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee, and more clearly defines his/her powers and functions. The Minister is also accountable to Cabinet for co-ordinating intelligence by the national intelligence structures. Source: South Africa Yearbook 2002
Last Revised: Tuesday, October 09, 2007
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