Mini-Budget boost for policing
Thapelo Sakoana
26 October 2006The South African government is to increase the number of police officers in the country from 156 000 to 193 000 over the next three years.
Delivering the 2006 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament in Cape Town on Wednesday, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said that government spending on justice, policing and prisons would grow by 9.4% a year over the next three years.
This would also allow for more people to be employed in the country's legal system to improve the rate at which cases are handled.
Manuel emphasised that reducing crime levels in South Africa would require a combination of social and economic programmes to improve the livelihood of communities, on the one hand, and partnerships between communities and the government, on the other.
"As government we are committed to the reduction of crime, and particularly violent crime," Manuel said.
"We are acutely aware of the damage that crime does to our social fabric and psyche, and its impact on all South Africans, including the livelihoods of small businesses and the poor."
With regard to education, Manuel said government envisaged introducing three new bursary programmes over the next three years.
"The first is to attract 1 400 young people into the teaching profession and for 900 teachers to improve their skills through post-graduate education in maths, science and life skills," he said.
The second bursary programme was to raise the number of qualified social workers working in the public and non-governmental sectors.
"Thirdly, money is set aside for deserving entrants into Further Education and Training Colleges," he said.
Source: BuaNews
