R10bn more to combat crime
Bathandwa Mbola
20 February 2008The government is to increase its safety and security budget by R10-billion over the next three years as South Africa moves to strengthen its police force and judiciary.
Presenting his 2008/09 Budget in Parliament in Cape Town on Wednesday, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said the allocation would see more than 200 000 police officers in the country by the end of March 2011 - 22% more than the current 163 000 - as well as more prosecutors, judges and magistrates.
Forty new police stations would also be built, and more money pumped into forensic science laboratories, Manuel said.
"An electronic case-flow management system has now been implemented in 266 courts, document scanning and digital recording systems have been introduced, and the justice department's financial systems have been modernised."
The Department of Safety and Security's budget will increase from R36-billion in 2007/08 to R40-billion in 2008/09 and R49.3-billion by 2010/11.
A total of R15-billion would also be allocated to the Department of Correctional Services by 2010/11, from R10.7-billion in 2007/08, Manuel said. The department would build six new-generation prisons, each capable of accommodating 3 000 prisoners, by 2010/11, five of these through public-private partnerships.
A major IT and telecommunications upgrade was in progress in the South African Police Service, and over 1 100 community policing forums had been established across the country.
"The statistics show that progress is being made, and we are mindful of the debt we all owe to those whose work involves exposure to danger and heavy caseloads," Manuel said.
At the same time, he acknowledged that there was much to be done to improve law enforcement and courts administration in South Africa.
Source: BuaNews
