Financial Mail - Investors Monthly
Policing gets largest slice
Police will intensify implementation of the ‘Back to Basics’ strategy, aimed at improving performance and conduct
A total of R198.7bn will be devoted to the defence, public order & public safety portfolio. Spending will focus on fighting transnational crimes, improving policing, peace support operations and military health services.
“The National Development Plan (NDP) has underlined the need for greater safety and security through an effective criminal justice system and responsive police services,” the national budget said.
SA Police Service crime statistics say incidents of murder, assault and robbery with aggravating circumstances increased by between 2.2% and 4.9% from April 2014 to March 2016.
Police services account for 47.3% of the total functional allocation. A total of R2.5bn is allocated to the department to upgrade and maintain police stations, with a further R10.2bn to procure and maintain transport equipment. Over the medium term, the police will intensify implementation of the “Back to Basics” strategy — it is aimed at improving police performance and conduct.
For the 2016/2017 financial year, R93.8bn is directed to the police service, R54bn to defence and state security and R43.8bn will fund law courts and prisons.
The consolidated three-year budget for the defence, public order & safety function group accounts for 14.2% of total expenditure. It will grow from R190bn in 2016/2017 to R225bn in 2019/2020 at an average annual rate of 5.8%. The department of defence plans to spend R3.3bn over the next three years to safeguard national borders.
According to national treasury, the department of home affairs has implemented the advanced passenger processing system — which examines passenger data to prevent individuals who are wanted by the authorities, or prohibited from travelling internationally, from entering the country. Over the medium term, R153m has been reprioritised from the department of police to the department of home affairs to augment the baseline budget of R352.5m for this system to adjust for currency depreciation. Since its implementation, 4,213 people have been prevented from boarding SA-bound flights, and 3,083 people using lost or stolen SA passports were denied exit.