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(2004/C 33 E/018)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3349/02

by José Ribeiro e Castro (UEN) to the Commission

(26 November 2002)

Subject:   Crime in South Africa — another Portuguese citizen murdered

In its reply of 7 September 2001 to Written Question E-1683/01 (1) on the same subject tabled on 14 June 2001 the Commission, represented by the Commissioner Poul Nielson, said ‘although the current Multi-annual indicative programme does not concentrate on crime prevention as a focal sector, the Commission believes that an improvement in the social and economic situation of the country will have positive effects on the crime situation. The EU development policy will contribute to this. In the past, the Commission has funded two programmes for support to the South African police force, one of which is still ongoing’.

Around the same time, on 5 July 2001, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation in South Africa (2), which expresses much less optimism about the problem and probable developments. It points out that ‘South Africa would have serious difficulties in overcoming these problems without the support and solidarity of the international community, in which the role of the European Union is crucial in so far as the Union and its Member States account for 70 % of international aid to the country’.

Unfortunately, violent crime in South Africa shows no signs of abating and a large number of EU citizens, especially Portuguese, are still being murdered. A person murdered a few days ago was the twenty-fifth Portuguese victim since the beginning of the year.

This is obviously an unacceptable situation and calls for more determined measures on the part of the competent South African authorities, as well as more intensive international support.

Does the Commission still have the same confidence and the optimistic feeling that the problem of violent crime against European residents in South Africa will be solved by ‘an improvement in the social and economic situation’, which is of course a desirable aim for this and for other countries? Or does it rather intend to include crime prevention, especially prevention of violent crime and murder, as a central issue in the whole policy of cooperation and development between the EU and South Africa? What are the main indicators and conclusions emerging from the two recent programmes for support to the South African police force funded by the Commission?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(24 January 2003)

The Commission has never affirmed that an improvement in the economic and social situation will ‘solve’ the problem of violent crime against European residents in South Africa. However, it continues to believe that the root causes for violence in the country lie — at least partially — in the extreme inequalities observed still today in South African society, in the legacy of Apartheid and the institutional violence that went with it, and in the deep poverty of disadvantaged communities which still constitute a sizeable portion of the population. It feels that its contribution to addressing these inequalities will in the long term ‘have a positive effect on the crime situation’. In addition, the Commission has implemented important programmes in this field and will continue to do so.

The Commission would like to repeat that the fight against crime as such is not a focal area in the current ‘Multi-annual indicative programme’, nor will it be in the new programme which is in the process of approval.

However, under the current programme and in the focal sector ‘Consolidation of the Rule of Law and Promotion of Human Rights’, the Commission has funded two programmes for support to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The programme for ‘Assistance to policing in Eastern Cape’ is aimed at improving the effectiveness and responsiveness of the police services in the province. The programme included several training courses for police officers as well as construction/refurbishment of 34 police stations. The commitment of EUR10,8 million has been almost totally disbursed. The programme is currently being closed and a programme evaluation will be conducted.

The programme for ‘Capacity building and institutional development for the South African police service and the department of safety and security’ aims at strengthening human resources capacity in order to enable the police service to implement crime prevention programmes, establish a DNA criminal database, draft a KwaZulu-Natal safety master plan and improve its human resources and management capacities. The programme was slow in starting up, but is now on track; approximately one quarter of the commitment of EUR 18,5 million has been disbursed.

In addition, the Commission is funding a comprehensive programme for support to the ministry of Justice that aims at ensuring better access and a more effective justice system for all South Africans.

Concerning the new 2002-2006 multi-annual programme (MIP), the focal area ‘Deepening Democracy’ focuses much more than before on the fight against crime. The new MIP reads: ‘The European Programme for Reconstruction and Development will contribute to the strengthening of social capital and democratic values at local level through crime prevention — especially regarding violence against and among vulnerable groups — and the promotion of community participation and accountability of the Criminal Justice System.’ Among the programmes that could be implemented in this focal area it mentions: ‘Based on lessons learned, a programme to support policing in the Eastern Cape. This will focus on crime prevention and, in particular, violence against women and children. Service delivery, community participation and accountability of the Criminal Justice System will be supported.’ The possibility of replicating parts of this programme in the KwaZulu-Natal province remains an option.

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(1)OJ C 115 E, 16.5.2002, p. 8.

(2)OJ C 65 E, 14.3.2002, p. 371.

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