HONOURABLE SPEAKER,

HONOURABLE MEMBERS,

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
             

Let me start my debate with the words of the father of our nation the late Nelson Mandela when he said and I quote“ To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity” (closed quotes). Human rights are meaningless if they do not embrace humanity and human dignity.

This month as we celebrate Human Rights let us be reminded that the dignity of our people and their right to life should at all times be protected. Let us be reminded that each one of us and as a collective we have an important duty to defend our people’s right to life.

Our people’s right to a healthy and a safe environment and our people’s right to adequate and decent living conditions is important in this dispensation of our democracy.

SPEAKER,

Individuals cannot reach their potential and take advantage of opportunities in life if they live in fear. When we constrain individuals in pursuing their life goals, we are constraining the well-being of communities. Personal safety is a prerequisite for creating an environment in which the people of this province can thrive.

Whilst there has been a reasonable success in reducing crime levels in the country since 1994 and in this province particularly, citizens still do not feel safe nor do they trust that their properties are safe from crime. The Victims of Crime Survey (VCS) published by Statistics South Africa, showed that more than 1 in 3 households avoid going into open spaces unaccompanied because of their fear of crime, almost 1 in 4 households would not allow their children to play unsupervised by an older person or play freely in their area. Only 14% of households felt safe to walk around in their area in the dark. Today we are always conscious about our safety wherever we are.  This cannot be life, HONOURABLE MEMBERS!!!!!

We witness daily how people especially women and children lose their lives often in bloody murders and the young sexually assaulted, robbing them off their dignity and personal privacy. Each day we wake up to headlines of violent crimes against women and children. Just a week ago a 27 year-old woman was butchered in Galeshewe allegedly by her ex-lover. Last week saw cases heard in court of two young girls in Galeshewe who were raped by people very close to them.

While this cannot be blamed solely to the government of the day, however this government is mandated to lead the fight against crime. Our government has the responsibility to rally us all and the communities at large to end violence in this province. This should be achieved through vigorous crime prevention programs and community based outreach projects with the police and all relevant stakeholders. A concerted effort is required to bring change in the lives of our citizens. The Northern Cape cannot be known as the rape capital of South Africa, where violent crimes are the order of the day.

Safety and security are directly related to socio-economic development and equality, affecting the development objectives of economic growth and transformation, job creation, improved education and health outcomes as well as strengthened social cohesion which my colleague Hon. Fritz has alluded to.

SPEAKER,

Although the recent crime statistics released by the South African Police Service show a downward trend, especially in murder rates, the figures are still unacceptably high and paint a bleak picture for our province. This weekend another youth in Galeshewe was stabbed to death in his home. We agree that the police should be commended in their crime combating efforts, especially those dedicated men and women in blue, however the cause of the overall trend needs to be analysed critically  and strategies that produce results in general, specifically in contact crimes, should be used. We are yet so see positive results and outcomes of the Northern Cape Provincial Crime Prevention Strategy.

We need to adopt a vision of an Open Opportunity Society for All, where children are safe from harm and citizens are able to walk in our cities and townships without fear. Criminals are caught promptly and prosecuted speedily, and victims of crime receive appropriate support and are treated with compassion.

The DA calls for policy interventions that are aimed at:

v    A police service that is properly equipped, well trained and able to both recognise and respond rapidly and effectively to any threat to the personal safety of the people;

v    A justice system that has the necessary independence and resources to ensure that those prosecuted receive a fair and speedy trial and, if found guilty, are appropriately punished;

v    A support system that is accustomed to the needs of the victims of crime.

There are five key steps in achieving these outcomes.
1.     Deterring crime through visible policing and a community based approach;

2.     Detecting and responding to crime when it does occur;

3.     Successfully prosecuting and convicting criminals;

4.     Maintaining a correctional system that reduces criminality; and

5.     Compensating and providing relief to victims of crime.

In conclusion HONOURABLE SPEAKER our resolve from this year's HUMAN RIGHTS MONTH should be to be active participants in the fight against crime. We should not only be arm-chair critics but adopt a hands-on approach to ensure that the people of this province enjoy the basic human right of a safe and secure environment. In this regard Honourable MEC Bartlett and Premier I pledge our full support and commitment on behalf the Democratic Alliance to effective, sound and outcomes based interventions in fighting crime. Our people’s rights are severely violated and the Democratic Alliance believes we cannot be detached spectators but rather committed advocates who defend human rights.

Martin Luther King Junior once said (and I quote) "Whatever career you may choose for yourself –be it doctor, lawyer, and teacher. Become a dedicated fighter for civil rights. Make it a central part of your life. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for human rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country and a finer world to live in”.

I THANK YOU!!!!