1. Briefing on Current Matters for the attention of the Portfolio Committee on Police
27 January 2016

2. INTRODUCTION
This briefing will cover a number of matters for the attention of the PC on Police in preparation for interaction with the Police
The briefing is meant to assist the Committee with preparation for the coming year
Firstly the identification of key issues affecting the work of the Committee in follow up to the 2014/15 Financial Year
The first section will address Key Policy Areas for the Committee’s attention
The second section will address the BRRR report and the responses of the SAPS and other departments.

3. LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
The Committee has requested that the Civilian Secretariat for Police prioritise certain pieces of legislation for the coming year:
White Paper on Police
White Paper on Safety and Security
Critical infrastructure Bill
Firearms Control Amendment Bill
The Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorist and Related Activities Amendment Bill
IPID Amendment Bill (Awaiting Constitutional Court Condonation)
SAPS Amendment Bill
Animal Movement and Related Matters Bill
PSIRA Bill (Awaiting assent by the President)

4. COURT JUDGMENT ON HEAD OF IPID
On 4 December 2015, Gauteng North Court pronounced on the matter of the Head of IPID.
The Court has given Parliament one year (12 months) from the date of 4 December 2015 to remedy sections 6(3)(a) and 6(6) of the IPID Act (no1 of 2011) and Regulation 13 of the IPID Regulations for the Operation of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (GNR 98 of Government Gazette of 10 February 2012), (IPID Regulations).
Subject to condonation by the Constitutional Court
Suspension of the Head of IPID declared unlawful

5. R FARLAM COMMISSION TASK TEAM
The Minister announced the finalisation of Independent Panel of Experts on Transformation of the SAPS
Revise and amend all prescripts relevant to Public Order Policing;
Investigate the world’s best practices and measures available for use‚ without resorting to the use of weapons capable of automatic fire‚ where Public Order Policing methods are inadequate.
Transformation Task Force (Led by DM)
Investigate the world’s best practices and measures available for use regarding micro-criminality and Syndicated crime
Formulate proposals regarding the other aspects of SAPS transformation: Organisation and culture change, professionalization, ICT, Big Data, funding issues,…
Receive and integrate recommendations from Independent panel of experts
Prepare an integrated plan for SAPS transformation (incl. creation of a Results Delivery Office)

6. SAPS TRAINING
The Committee have agreed to focus on training of Police officers and have agreed to call the Paarl Police University, and look at training programmes by SAPS, UNISA, SAPU, POPCRU and ISS
The Committee will examine the syllabuses of the training curriculum and its appropriateness
The Committee will also examine foreign training conducted by the SAPS and the DPCI in particular

7. RULE 201 IMPLEMENTATION
The Committee adopted its Rule 201 Report on 11 December 2015.
The Report made certain recommendations with respect to the national management of the SAPS.
The National Commissioner has objected to the Report and requested that it be rescinded. The request was denied. The National Commissioner was given until 4 December 2015 to respond.
In terms of Rule 316 (NA Rules) the Report has lapsed and now have to be revived.
This meant that in view of the Parliamentary recess, the matter lapsed ito Rule 316.
A new process for referral must now be started to refer the matter back to the Committee.
A new process must be started by the presiding officer to refer the matter back to the Committee.

8. PROGRAMME 6 OF THE DIRECTORATE FOR PRIORITY CRIME INVESTIGATION (DPCI)
The Committee took a decision that the DPCI should become a programme 6 within the SAPS budget during its Budget and BRRR hearings.
The SAPS indicated that National Treasury did not grant them permission to establish such a separate programme and indicated that the detective programme adequately provides for the DPCI.
The Committee Chair has pledged to meet with the Minister of Finance on the matter as it relates to the Constitutional Court Judgement

9. SAPS/SECRETARIAT RESEARCH SECTION
SAPS announced that it started a Research section and the Committee has requested that it provides a report on the matters it was researching.
This was important because there was a concern that SAPS should work more closely with the Civilian Secretariat and that the secretariat should also report on the research they have undertaken.
This also relates to the policy role that the Civilian Secretariat should be playing which should be underpinned by research

10. BACK TO BASICS –DETECTIVE TURNAROUND STRATEGY
The SAPS embarked on a Back to Basics Turnaround strategy for the Detectives programme
The programme makes provision for discrepancies in the performance information in the Annual Report
It considers the performance of detectives at Provincial level
It also develops a Recovery Plan that identifies and addresses under-performance
It proposes that the plan will be completed by end of 2015/16 FY
Management Intervention Teams will be sent to provinces to achieve the desired results
Committee should discuss the design of the plan

11. PROFESSIONALISING AND DEMILITARISING THE SAPS
The Committee should hold the SAPS to account for the professionalising of the SAPS as per the directions of the National Development Plan.
Professionalisation requires that the SAPS addresses organisational ethos, organisational culture, discipline and not only focus on training as a solution to professionalising the organisation.
To date no direct plan for demilitarisation of the SAPS has been presented.
The Committee should insist on clear and time-frames for such processes.

12. BRRR RECOMMENDATIONS
The Committee have agreed to focus on training of Police officers and have agreed to call the Paarl Police University, and look at training programmes by SAPS, UNISA, SAPU, POPCRU and ISS
The Committee will examine the syllabuses of the training curriculum and its appropriateness
The Committee will also examine foreign training conducted by the SAPS and the DPCI in particular

13. PSLEADERSHIP CHANGES SAPS LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS
The Committee must be appraised of the new leadership appointments made as a result of the Restructuring process initiated by the SAPS.
CV’s and biographies of all the new appointments should be made available to the Committee.
The new management team should be introduced to the Committee and a report on the status of previous incumbents should be made available to the Committee

14. RHINO POACHING
fairs
The Committee undertook an oversight visit to the Kruger National Park in 2015
Various undertakings were made through action plans that were presented that the numbers of rhinos poached would be reduced
There has been a slight decrease in the figures for the 2014/2015 figures provided from 1215 to 1175.
The achievement is not notable and the Committee should interrogate the reasons for this.
It would be good to invite the PC for Environmental Affairs to the meeting

15. CONCLUSION
There are many issues awaiting the Committee’s attention and we have very little time to see them through
In addition, the Committee is planning an Oversight visit to the Eastern Cape Province
The Committee Strategic Planning session is scheduled for March 2016