
24 June 2013
The government has launched a public consultation process to encourage South Africans to give their input on plans to improve policing in the country through a Green Paper on Policing.
The Green Paper sets out the broad policy thrust for the South African Police Service (SAPS) over the medium to long term, providing a framework for building a professional, accountable, transparent and responsive police service.
During a quarterly meeting between Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and provincial MECs responsible for policing in Boksburg on Friday, a call was made to South Africans to contribute and share their views and suggestions on the kind of policing they want in future.
Mthethwa said the policy had to position the police service to adapt and respond to a constantly evolving crime landscape while remaining steadfast in its commitment to democratic policing.
“This policy document therefore articulates the Ministry of Police’s vision for policing for the future. This piece of legislation has far-reaching safety implications, hence the importance of a broader consultation process.”
The meeting stressed that the Civilian Secretariat for Police would need to ensure that it reached the majority of South Africans as part of its consultative process, so that views from even the remotest and rural areas were included.
The MECs were tasked to use their existing community structures, constituencies and stakeholder forums to get public discussions going.
South Africans have until 7 July to make inputs on the Green Paper on Policing, which is available on www.gov.za and www.saps.gov.za. A copy can also be obtained from the Civilian Secretariat for Police by contacting them on 012 393 2519.
Source: SAnews.gov.za