Analysis of cash heists crucial, says minister

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

This comes days after Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula called on law enforcement agencies to come together to examine these crimes, which were threatening to spiral out of control.

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 address these crimes.

“Cash-in-transit heists directly affect the safety of security officers, the SAPS and members of the public, as well as the perception of safety in the Republic.

“The portfolio committee needs assurances from the role-players that the necessary proactive steps are in place to deal with cash-heist crimes,” Beukman said.

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

The heists are often carried out with military-style precision and there has been an increase in the use of bombs, leading to speculation that people with a military background could be involved.

This has also sparked fears within the government about cost-cutting measures that departments are expected to implement, including cutting down on compensation of employees, even in the Department of Defence.

Last week, Mapisa-Nqakula warned against reducing the size of the defence force.

Briefing the joint standing committee on defence, Mapisa-Nqakula said investment and economic growth in the country were unlikely to occur because nobody would want to invest in a country where there was instability.

“Some people think if you have numerous cash-in-transit heists between February and May, we should ask ourselves if these are just criminal elements.

“We need to conduct an analysis to give us answers that go beyond just ordinary criminality,” she said.

Even though cash-in-transit heists were a police matter, they were also a law enforcement matter, the minister added.

“We must analyse the phenomenon we are dealing with and find a solution.

“And we are not going to be able to do that if the budget is reduced…”

Mapisa-Nqakula said she shivered to think about the call to have to discharge 4 000 defence personnel in the medium-term expenditure framework. “Maybe we can… But if you have an institution with a high rate of attrition of between 3 000 and 4 000, how do you discharge 4 000 soldiers onto the streets?

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

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

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

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

Co-operation between the SAPS and the relevant private security companies was emphasised to ensure that risk factors such as internal collusion between staff and syndicates were dealt with head-on.

“Cash-in-transit robberies are executed with military-style precision and the police need to adapt their strategies to be one step ahead of these syndicates.

“The use of technology should also be increased as a force multiplier to deal with the current frequency of cash heists,” Beukman previously pointed out.

Laying off 4 000 defence staff is a major worry