Untitled - Saps

1995
10 Years of Policing in a Democracy 1995 – 2005
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• On 29 January 1995, President Nelson Mandela, appointed the first National
Commissioner of the new South African Police Service, George Fivaz. He was assisted
by four deputy commissioners, namely National Deputy Commissioners Morgan
Chetty, Zolisa Lavisa, Mike Bester and John Manuel. In February 1995, the complete
demilitarization of the police service was proposed. Other proposals included the
abolition of military titles held by officers.
• A ten-point community policing programme was launched in February 1995, the first of
two stages of transforming the SAPS. The programme included the following:
- Establishing station management forums to channel grievances.
- Appointing shop stewards and complaints officers at district level.
- Rotating schedules to prevent black police members from being assigned
inferior jobs.
- Redistributing resources between over-resourced and under-resourced stations.
- Speeding up the incorporation of police assistants into the SAPS.
- Improving the working environment of SAPS employees.
- Implementing effective labour relations.
• The SAPS Representivity and Equal Opportunities Programme (REOP), which formed
the cornerstone of the SAPS transformation process, was launched at the end of
May 1995.
• A new rank structure for the SAPS was introduced on 1 December 1995. The new system
heralded a visible and concrete break with the militaristic police culture of the past.
• The new emblem of the SAPS was unveiled. Still based on a star design, the new emblem
had as its centerpiece the aloe plant which symbolizes resilience and steadfastness.
• New uniforms and insignia for the various ranks were phased in. The new uniform
included a darker cap and a new name badge. Castle symbols denoting rank on epaulets
were replaced by a hexagon showing the aloe plant.
• Divisions that were established in addition to existing ones included the following:
Division National Standards and Management Services: The division focused on providing
management services in line with the constitutional and legislative functions of the SAPS,
and determining and evaluating national standards in the delivery of policing services.
The division consisted of three components, namely National Policy and Strategy,
which formulated and implemented national operational policy and strategies; National
Corporate Development, which interpreted and developed organizational policy
into effective policing structures, management systems and procedures; and National
Service Evaluation, which monitored and evaluated the services rendered by the SAPS
in fulfilling its operational policies and strategies. The division followed a constructive,
problem-solving approach, liaising internally with other SAPS divisions and externally
with relevant communities and interested stakeholders. This approach assisted the SAPS
in obtaining valuable input from crime-affected communities and in ensuring that the
specific needs, fears and priorities of individual communities were addressed in the
crime-combating activities of the SAPS. The Community Safety Plan was announced by
former President Nelson Mandela in 1995, after being approved by all participants in the
Government of National Unity.
Division National Crime Investigation Services (NCIS): As every other division in the SAPS, the
NCIS was also taking a new approach. In the past, the majority of the investigation units
had followed a reactive approach to crime and solutions to crime. The division adopted a
more preventive, proactive methodology and structure. In this way, crime was addressed
by means of the effective utilization of information and the application of expert
methods of investigation. Six components were assigned to the division, namely the
Commercial Crime component, the National Priority Crimes component, the Organized