Pretoria - The country’s new Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko says safety and security are critical ingredients for social stability - and that would be his number one priority.
Speaking to the media for the first time after being sworn-in to the portfolio on Monday, Minister Nhleko said there were social challenges that would need to be addressed first that have nothing to do with policing but affect it, such as service delivery.
Recently, South Africa has experienced a growing number of protest actions and unrest which in some instances has been accompanied by serious incitement, intimidation, public violence and even elements of criminality.
The South African Police Service (SAPS), under the previous administration came under intense scrutiny since the Marikana incident, where police killed 34 striking mineworkers, and the death of taxi driver Mido Macia, who was tied and dragged behind a police van near Johannesburg, as well as their brutality during service delivery protests.
According to Minister Nhleko, the main challenge for the SAPS is to respond to these societal challenges within the spirit and context of a community orientated policing model and the Bill of Rights.
Since he is new, he said, he would need a study to understand some of the dynamics which has led to strained relations and lack of confidence between the police and the public.
However, this, he said, requires a realistic balance between acknowledging the rights of citizens to demonstrate versus the police’s need to ensure peace and stability.
“I remain committed and will continue to instil various principles which underpin a new approach to security in a democratic South Africa. Firstly, that both national security and personal security must be advanced through efforts to meet the social, economic and cultural needs of society,” Minister Nhleko said.
Minister Nhleko is the former director general of the labour department, a post he held from 2011.
A Member of Parliament from 1994 to 2005, Minister Nhleko also served as the African National Congress's chief whip in the National Assembly for two years.
His biggest challenge, he says, would be to understand the SAPS environment. He says he is humbled and honoured to serve the country to ensure that all South Africans feel safe. – SAnews.gov.za
