SECUT RO IN P G L A A U N T H O I O T R A I T N Y 8 1 Khasho February / March 2008 0 News for NPA staff, friends and stakeholders 0 0 y 2 e - a 8 r 8 s 1 9 WORKING TOGETHER: Community prosecution is aimed at enhancing community participation in setting criminal justice priorities. See story page 3 Prosecutors take He’s proud to be in Judgment in drug fight to schools the Free State watershed case A new initiative by Pretoria Khasho had a chat to the Thabo Lebakeng, the prosecutors, called Deputy Director of Advanced Manager Operation 360, is taking Public Prosecutions in Employee Relations, the fight against drugs the Free State, Johannes takes a look at the into the schools. The Hiemstra, about the highs Constitutional Court project aims to educate and lows of his job as decision in the learners in the area about well as the challenges Sidumo v Rustenburg drugs and the harsh of working in a big and Platinum Mines Ltd realities for both users largely rural province. and its implications for and dealers. employers. Page 4 Page 6 Page 8 2 Letter From the National Director Merger leads to new crime-fighting body et me first deal with the contentious matters of the Directorate of Special “I am happy to LOperations (DSO). say that we were You should be aware by now that the government has officially announced that commended for our the DSO will be merged with the SAPS’s Organised Crime Unit to form a new crime- work by parliament’s fighting body. Following that announcement, we portfolio committee have been informed that a National Body on justice.” comprising representatives from the NPA, the Department of Justice and the SAPS will be formed to carry the process forward. We haven’t as yet received a policy document public to inform them of our work and but we will be waiting to receive it so that it successes. assists and guides us in this process. We even had one opposition politician I want to take this opportunity to thank promising to write an article in the media the staff members of the DSO for the calm to inform the general public about the good and disciplined manner in which they work that we are doing. have handled themselves during this very Of course, we were criticised on a few difficult time. You have dealt with this in cases. We accept the criticisms and I would a dignified and sensible manner while we like to appeal to all of us to carry out our know this has been really tough on you, so work with sensitivity and responsibility thank you. and, obviously, without compromising on The NPA Task Team, that we have our values. appointed to assist with this matter, has Acting National Director of Public We will, in a few weeks’ time, get a made a presentation to Exco. Prosecutions Adv Mokotedi Mpshe report on one of our major projects, the We have accepted their presentation and Community Prosecution Project. report to the commission, following then also finalised the terms of reference For the past year we have been trying government’s submission. for the task team. this model which takes a strategic shift So, everything is on course and there is Members of this team will meet on a from a purely reactive case-processing a strong likelihood that the hearings will be regular basis and also give regular updates approach to a more proactive, problem- to affected staff on progress in the process. open to the public as Pikoli had wished. solving one. Let me also say that this task team In recent weeks we also appeared One of the key elements of community will automatically represent the NPA in before parliament’s portfolio committee on prosecution is to enhance community the national body that will oversee this justice. I am happy to say that we were participation in setting criminal justice process. commended for our work as the NPA. priorities. And so we will be presenting With regards to the Ginwala Commission In fact, the chairperson of that findings of a report by an independent of Inquiry, I am aware that the NDPP Adv committee challenged us to make sure that researcher who was tasked with evaluating Vusi Pikoli has submitted his replying we communicate with the South African this project. Contents 3 Community project a success 8 Judgment in watershed case 4 Prosecutors take drug fight to schools 9 NPA muscles in on fitness 5 Garden grows, thanks to gift 10 Remembering the first days 6 Proud to be in the Free 11 Zooming in on staff State wellness 7 Battle rages over the DSO 12 Staff news NPA News 3 Community project a success he Community Prosecution Project that was initiated in 2006 as part An evaluation of the Community Prosecution Tof the NPA’s strategic shift from a Project shows that it has been effective purely reactive case-processing approach to a more proactive, problem-solving one, is proving to be extremely successful. Eighteen months after its inception the project, which is being run at nine sites countrywide, was recently externally evaluated by Dr Richard Griggs, an established researcher in the criminal justice sector. A key element of community prosecution is to enhance community participation in setting criminal justice priorities. As Adv Shamila Batohi, the Project Owner notes, “This approach entails a long-term, proactive partnership between the prosecution, law enforcement, the community and public and private organisations with a view to solving particular community crime problems, improving public safety and enhancing the quality of life of community members.” Griggs found that there was a marked WORKING: reduction in crime and improved Some of the people who run the Community Prosecution project, which has a proactive, problem-solving approach to prosecuting. “This approach participation, noting that he was “glad that was eventually dropped from the SAPS entails a long- the major stakeholders in this initiative all hotspot list because the CMP worked pitched in to help – without them the project with a municipal councillor to ensure that term, proactive couldn’t have been such a success”. the land was developed and better street Mncwabe believes that this new lighting was installed. partnership between approach to prosecution is effective Crime prevention was achieved through because it facilitates participation from the environmental design. the prosecution, community and the major stakeholders who The project has been run over the last law enforcement don’t always have a cordial relationship. This was supported by Fiona Cloete, 18 months at nine sites, namely Pretoria: the community and who was the CMP for the Cape Town Mamelodi, Johannesburg: Windsor East, community of Siyahlala. East London: Mdantsane, Mthatha: Ngange- organisations.” Cloete felt that the key to community lizwe, Bethlehem: Bohlokong, Galeshewe: participation was having someone who would Phuthaneng, Kuruman: Kudumane, Durban: perceptions of public safety in the majority listen. “A lot of the time the community feel Point, and Cape Town: Siyahlala. of the sites, which was directly attributable that they are not considered to be important, These sites were chosen because there to the involvement of the community but through this initiative, which required us was reasonably good infrastructure, which prosecutor (CMP). to engage meaningfully with them, they felt in many sites included a court and other He also noted that three types of needed and wanted,” she said. support structures but, more importantly, interrelated activities delivered the most At the Windsor East site, Griggs they had the potential to reduce crime. observed that the SAPS Sector Manager, impact – educational activities on the law “It was important to identify supported by the CMP, became so pro- via public outreach initiatives, building communities which had problems, but strategic partnerships for crime prevention active in patrolling the site that the drug which also had the potential to address outcomes and selective prosecutions which dealers and bylaw infractions that were create community interest. clearly visible on the streets at the time of these problems,” continued Batohi. The evaluation by Griggs paints a the baseline study were no longer evident The CMPs will continue with their picture of how these measures, run in at the time of the evaluation. work for at least another year. The findings partnership with the community, have Windsor East is now visibly cleaner and of the evaluation are due to be released in made a difference to crime levels. more regulated. March. Ron Mncwabe, the CMP in Mamelodi, Mamelodi, east of Pretoria, a hotspot for For more information on the initiative, highlighted the importance of community hijacking at the time of the baseline study, go to www.justiceforum.co.za 4 NPA News Prosecutors take fight against drugs into Pretoria schools Operation 360 aims to educate learners about the harsh realities for users and dealers retoria prosecutors are taking the fight against drugs into the city’s Pschools. Initiated by Chief Prosecutor Matric Luphondo, Operation 360 will see prosecutors from the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court take up the call to act against drug use in schools. According to Luphondo, the campaign is due to be launched across the city in March. “We continuously received letters from school principals telling us about the severe BATTLING DRUGS: Matric Luphondo, Chief Prosecutor at the Pretoria drug problems in the schools as well as Magistrate’s Court, and Yvonne Phoshoko, a senior prosecutor at the court, complaining about the crime situation. are actively involved in Operation 360. “This was a fantastic crimes were being committed, what the Wesbank has contributed R900 000, to problems were in the schools and to find the project, which will be spread out over opportunity to out more about solutions for issues.