SA, France fight crime together
Edwin Tshivhidzo
6 December 2004
The French ambassador to South Africa, Jean Felix-Paganon, says the partnership between the SA Police Service and the French police has contributed to the reduction of crime in the country.
Speaking in Pretoria last week, Felix-Paganon said "we hope to continue to explore other avenues together to beef up the fight against crime".
The head of SAPS Criminal Record Centre, Commissioner Piet du Toit, said the police hoped to strengthen the partnership with their French counterparts.
"With their help and expertise, we were able to solve many cases involving syndicates and organised crime", Du Toit said. "The French government has assisted a great deal in the development of our capacity in many areas."
The cooperation between the two police forces began in 2000. Since then, the French government has spent more than R3.7-million on state-of-the-art equipment to collect and process fingerprints quickly.
Other projects include
equipping the detective and intelligence academy in Hammanskraal with CCTV equipment and a fully-fledged computer room to assist in training investigators.
Du Toit said the equipment was successfully used in high-profile cases such as that of the Boeremag and resolving the death of Marike de Klerk, the former wife of former president FW de Klerk.
The French government has indicated its willingness to support a second three-year programme, starting in 2005, which would focus on fighting transnational organised crime and terrorism.
The programme would cost an estimated R10-million.
Source: BuaNews
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