May 25, 2004, 20:12
By Thabo Mophuthing

Charles Nqakula, the minister of safety and security says there about ten gangs operating in Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape, making it one of the 63 high crime areas of the country. He said most of the Khayelitsha gang members are under 18 years old.

He was addressing the media at a security cluster briefing in Cape Town this morning. The cluster included the following ministers: Bridget Mabandla, justice; Mosiuoa Lekota, defence; Ronnie Kasrils, intelligence; and Ngconde Balfour of correctional services.

The security cluster ministers announced a program of action designed to meet government’s security priorities. The program of action included the following measures:

• Review of the Criminal Justice System
One of the most serious challenges facing the security cluster is that 60% of convicted prisoners are “repeat offenders”. To address this problem, the cluster pledged to make more human and material resources available to upgrade its rehabilitation programme.

The cluster also said that it would establish partnerships with civil society organisations to make more opportunities possible for inmates to be released from prison in a bid to prevent recidivism. It undertook to accelerate a pilot project on inmate tracking which started in Johannesburg and Durban.

A comprehensive review of the entire Criminal Justice System is to be proposed to Cabinet.

• Sexual offences and other forms of abuse against women and children
The cluster promised to pay particular attention to sexual offences and other forms of abuse against women and children. It said more specialised investigators would be made available and additional sexual offences courts established. To date the government has established 50 such courts countrywide and ten more will be established during the next five years.

• Railway police
A pilot project of a newly devised railway policing structure will be implemented in Cape Town at the beginning of 2005. Already, about 400 additional personnel have been recruited and will begin training in June to December 2004.

• Forensic services
According to the cluster, forensic laboratories are experiencing rapid growth in case work, with an increase of 22% in 2003. New technology has already been introduced to meet the challenges facing these laboratories. Fields of expertise include ballistics, questioned documents, biology, scientific analysis, chemistry and explosives.

• Intelligence capacity
The Intelligence Services have pledged to pursue a business-like approach to delivery on their mandate. To provide the necessary intelligence support for government programmes, the cluster identified the enhancement of the intelligence capacity as a key priority. Particular attention will be in areas of the collection of quality information and improving its analytical capacity in both the immediate and long-term.

According to the cluster, international terrorism remains a world threat and in that regard the Intelligence Services will continue to tighten the country’s border security.

• Border control
The cluster undertook to finalise the upgrading of the 53 land ports of entry and to build new border posts for, among others, the new transfrontier conservation areas. It said it was also fast-tracking efforts to enable its services to address areas of corruption around entry on the country’s borders.

• Peacekeeping
The SANDF will continue to participate in the United Nations’ peacekeeping efforts and in other instances where there is an appeal for assistance from other African countries through the African Union.

• 2010 World Cup
Structures are in place to address issues relevant to the cluster in preparation for the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

the original article can be found at: http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/crime1justice/0,2172,80491,00.html