Public hearings on cash-in-transit crime

THE recent upsurge in cash-intransit heists will come under scrutiny on Wednesday when Parliament holds a public hearing to look into measures to tackle the crime.

This comes days after Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula called on all the country’s law enforcement agencies to come together and address the matter.

Yesterday, police portfolio committee chairperson Francois Beukman said the aim of the public hearing was to bring all role-players in the cash-intransit industry, especially in the security and law enforcement environment, under one roof and ascertain whether sufficient short-term and longterm measures were in place to deal with the crime.

“Cash-in-transit heists directly affect the safety of security officers, the SA Police Service and members of the public and the general perception of safety in the republic and the portfolio committee needs assurances of the role players that the necessary proactive steps are in place to deal with the current challenges,” Beukman said.

There has been a resurgence of cash-in-transit heists with more than 180 reported country wide since the beginning of the year.

The heists are often violent and carried out with military-style precision and there is an increase in the use of bombs, a move that has prompted speculations that people with military background may be involved.

The government has even suggested cost-cutting measures in the departments, including cutting down on compensation of employees even in the Department of Defence and Military Veterans.

This week Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula warned about reducing the defence force.

Briefing the joint standing committee on defence, Mapisa-Nqakula said she shivered to think about the call that they release 4 000 defence personnel in the medium term expenditure framework.

“Maybe we can but if you have an institution which has a high rate of attrition at between 3 000 and 4 000, how do you release 4 000 soldiers and allow them to go into the streets.

“These people are trained. My issue is are we not adding more criminal elements in the streets of South Africa?” Mapisa-Nqakula asked.

Beukman said the public hearing would focus on the intelligence and operational readiness of the SA Police Service as well as co-operation between the SA Police Service and the private security industry.

Vetting procedures in the police and private security industry; the role of Private Security Industry Regulation Authority and the co-operation of the banking sector and law enforcement agencies will be looked into as well as technological innovations to curb the incentives to engage in cash-in transit heists.

The portfolio committee has previously called for crime intelligence and detection operations to be increased and the relevant specialised units tasked to deal with the heists.