Item 581 - Notes for a speech by President Nelson Mandela during a visit to the Serious and Violent Crime Unit

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ZA COM MR-S-581

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Notes for a speech by President Nelson Mandela during a visit to the Serious and Violent Crime Unit

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  • 1998-05-12 (Creation)

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Transcription of speech made by Mr Mandela

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(18 July 1918-5 December 2013)

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Migrated from the Nelson Mandela Speeches Database (Sep-2018).

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ANC Website

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  • English

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TRANSCRIPT

Kommissaris Leon Wessels
Direkteur Knipe en Senior Superintendent Trollip
Lede van die Wes-Kaapse Eenheid Ernstige Geweldsmisdaad.

Dit is altyd vir my 'n eer om die kans te kry om te ontmoet met eenhede van ons Suid-Afrikaanse Polisie-diens. Dit gee my die geleentheid om in aanraking te kom met sommige van die mans en vroue wat so 'n kritieke rol speel in die in-werkingstelling van ons planne om misdaad hok te slaan.

Jul bydrae, en hierdie geleentheid om te ontmoet, is juis nou besonder welkom. Die Polisie-diens hou gedurigdeur 'n oog op die misdaad-vlakke in die land en alle aanduidings is dat ons werklik besig is om die stryd teen misdaad te wen; dat ons die gety begin omkeer; dat die Nasionale Misdaadsvoorkomingstrategie besig is om te slaag.

But even though we are beginning to turn the tide, the level of crime remains at a completely unacceptable level, especially violent crime. We need to use the crime statistics to define our priorities and sharpen the measures we are taking.

It is in that context that a visit like this has a special meaning.

Our history left us with an enormous and complex problem as far as crime is concerned.

Although our programmes to improve the lives of all our people are having an impact on millions, it will take many years to eradicate the poverty that contributes to crime.

We inherited a police force which, because of the tasks it was deployed and trained to do, did not have the confidence of the community or the skills for policing in a democracy.

Positive relation between community and police. We have made much progress in this though we do recognise that there is still far to go and we need to work on it all the time.

We have identified and dealt with many of the corrupt elements who tarnish the name of the great majority of police men and women who are of the highest integrity - but this is also an unfinished task which we are determined to complete.

Our priorities for this year are very much reflected in your unit: building investigative capacity; focusing on crimes such as those relating to vehicles; fire arms; and violence against women and children; and

We are also ensuring that this focus on priority crimes is a co-ordinated one throughout our criminal justice system.

Dis daarom dat 'n besoek aan 'n Wes-Kaapse eenheid vir ondersoek na ernstige geweldsmisdaad so besonderlik belangrik is vir ons. Dit het betekenis veral om ons te help verstaan wat ons projekte beteken vir diegene wat daardie projekte moet implementeer.

Word lede van hierdie eenheid op gespesialiseerde opleidings-kursusse gestuur om hul ondersoek-vaardighede te help verbeter? Van die oogpunt van julle, die ondersoek-beamptes: is die toestande in die howe besig om te verbeter? Oor die algemeen: hoe voel u, in eenhede soos hierdie dwarsoor die land, oor hoe dit met u gaan?

We also appreciate the difficult and often dangerous conditions under which our police work, and the anxieties of your families. We pay tribute to those who, as a result of their work to combat violence, have themselves become victims of violence.

The work of such a unit, vital as it is, is just a part of the efforts of a whole police service. That in turn contributes to the joint efforts of everyone who makes our National Crime Prevention Strategy work, including the public.

Government is absolutely committed to playing its part. That is why our current budget brings an increase in expenditure on crime-prevention activities. That is why we take every opportunity to encourage the community to work with the police, and were so heartened to see the police of the Western Cape launch a mass campaign for this purpose on Freedom Day. We are also looking at proposals that were brought to use by the Inter-Religious Committee on Crime and Violence in the Western Cape. And we are trying to strengthen the hands of the police by bringing in new legislation aimed at organised crimes and racketeering.

We cannot promise immediate solutions, but together we will succeed in bringing the safety and security that is the right of every citizen.

Kortom gestel: ons doen ons uiterste bes om te verseker dat u, die polisie, die bate het van die ondersteuning van die gemeenskap; die toerusting om u werk te kan doen; en die gesamentlike betrokkenheid van die staatsdepartemente.

In so 'n taak slaag 'n mens nooit op jou eie nie. Gesamentlik kan ons egter die misdadigers verslaan.

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Acquisition method: From website ; Source: ANC Website. Accessioned on 06/12/06 by Helen Joannides

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