In this first three-month post State of the Nation address and lekgotla review, the JCPS cluster can report varied successes through its integrated programmes and projects designed to create a safer South Africa.

This quest for peace and security is work in progress and must be contextualised within the globalisation of crime, world terror and our continual strides to reduce domestic crime and attack its causes so that we sustain our democracy It must also be contextualised in terms of regional peace and security and our country's commitments to continental and international peacekeeping.

The review must be considered within the JCPS programmes highlighted in our Programme of Action:

• Upholding National Security & Border Control Crime level reduction from between 7% and 10% a year over 10 years;
• Targeting organised crime syndicates
• Increasing capacity within the criminal justice system
• Ensuring security around events such as the 2010 World Cup Soccer Tournament and the Pan African Parliament which opens in Gallagher Estate on 16th September,2004.

South Africa is not immune from global terrorism. No country is. Every effort by our government is geared towards creating the necessary conditions that will reduce the threat of terrorism and other crimes to our country.

Such efforts include improving the capacity, cooperation and coordination of intelligence and tightening our border control and security.

While there are no direct terrorist threats to our country at this stage, our monitoring and investigations vigorously strive to prevent any groups or individuals from using South Africa, her people and resources to plan for such activity. We will not allow for a few individuals to derail government's efforts at addressing our immediate priorities to build a better life for all who live here, the entrenchment of our democracy, the consequent peace and stability of our country and our international obligations. There are always individuals who choose not to abide by a country's laws no matter how democratic. To those foolish enough to choose this path - our message is clear:

This government, our intelligence and security services and our people will not tolerate those who transgress our laws. We ask every citizen to work with us to achieve the goals of this country.

We are concerned about our country being singled out as a haven for terrorists or allegations stereotyping specific religious or cultural communities or groups as susceptible to the appeal of extremists.

We have been accused of being too lax with our laws and border control.

Yes, we are an open country - this is a fundamental element necessary to develop any democracy and an open democracy is the guarantor of a stable and secure country. With regard to our borders, any established democracy faces similar problems to us and we are taking active steps to strengthen our border control. There is no doubt that international terrorists are seeking to gain recruits and support for their cause all over the world. We will do everything necessary to counteract this. We are sure our people will exercise their good sense and judgement in this respect for they have constantly shown moral rejection of unjust and indiscriminate attacks against civilian populations.

We are a vibrant civil society - with a people who are free to add their voices to international and local causes. This is one of the assets we as a country have inherited from our years of struggle for freedom and justice. We urge our people when traveling abroad to abide by the law of the countries they are visiting just as they must respect their obligations to international law and to our own legal system.

A team of our intelligence officers recently visited Pakistan. The officers were again able to confirm that no attacks were planned against South Africa as was reported in the media. They were able to discuss with the relevant authorities in that country. We are continuing to investigate this matter.

A National Security Conference Is scheduled for 4 to 7 October, 2004 to further develop our national security strategy. The Cluster is reviewing the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act, 1998 (Act 15 of 1998) with regard to challenges that arise from matters such as the definition of a conflict; the definition of military assistance; the exclusion of enlistment by South Africans in the defence forces of other countries and the gathering of evidence.

The Cluster is also in the process of finalising a comprehensive plan on Border control and security.

The process to transfer the function ,in which the Department of Defence currently assists the Department of Safety and Security, is progressing in accordance with the priorities approved in the JCPS Cluster.

This includes the withdrawal of the SANDF from routine internal deployments.

In this regard a Joint Steering Committee was established to plan and draff an exit/entry strategy to ensure that the taking over by SAPS from the SANDF is done without leaving a vacuum.

The implementation process will be done in phases, with the last phase to be completed in 2009.

This will release the SANDF from performing routine police tasks and focus on efforts to support government diplomatic initiatives and imperatives in the region.

The SANDF will, however, continue to fulfil its constitutional mandate to defend the Republic of South Africa and to support its people.

Some units of SAPS will gather at Upington on 12th September 2004 for thorough-going briefing sessions with respect to their deployment on the Nambia and Botswana borders. They will be the first units to be deployed on the borders thereby replacing the SANDF units that were responsible for this task.

The next SAPS units will take over from the SANDF the security functions on the Lesotho border in 2006. This is the borderline that extends across the Free State, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal. The rest of the deployments will be Mozambique and Swaziland in 2007 over the borderline that connects with Limpopo and Mpumalanga and KZN. The last deployment will relate to the borderline between Zimbabwe and Limpopo.

The SAPS annual report will be tabled in September. It will indicate the reason for the good measure of comfort we have following the successful implementation of our integrated law enforcement strategies.

The main crime reduction targets are:

Social crime -- crime against the person -- prevention interventions such as drug busts and community-rooted substance abuse campaigns have all contributed and the Cluster has finalised the first draft socio-economic profiling of the 63 contact crime areas we spoke about last time where the crime levels are high.

The profiles have highlighted the influence of various factors such as urbanisation and the flow of undocumented persons to the informal settlements, drug and substance abuse and related gangsterism; as well as joblessness.

The Cluster is planning with Provincial Government and Local Authorities to go to the heart of the matter on contact crime in the 63 areas working with the Social and Economic Cluster, on the basis of an integrated approach.

Illegal Firearms: The relentless war on illegal firearms -- the criminals weapons of choice -- and efforts to ensure better control of ownership through the Firearms Control Act of 2000 is continuing.

Tens of thousands of guns have been confiscated. From the beginning of January this year to date, 45 427 guns have been destroyed countrywide.

However, we are still experiencing unacceptably high levels of firearms reported lost or stole. A total of 10 975 were reported lost or stolen during the period January 1 2004 to the end of July

Compliance with the Firearms Control Act and the requirements of approved competency tests as well as the way the Act relates to the gun manufacturing, security and hunting industry are unfolding and strict control of legally possessed firearms is being maintained.

In the first six months of 2004, a total of 44 432 firearms licence applications were considered. The provisions of the legislation as well as decisions made by the courts necessitated a more intense evaluation of firearm licence applications.

Top 200 criminals: In his State of the Nation Address, President Thabo Mbeki indicated that the Cluster would arrest by the end of August the top 200 criminals in South Africa. The Police and the Scorpions will submit to Cabinet next week a full report on the matter.

Meanwhile, some significant arrests have been effected with respect to various categories of criminals in the past three months.

This includes 70 criminals involved in cash-in-transit and bank robberies. Some of the criminals were killed of course, in shoot outs with the law enforcement agents, as happened last week.

In the first half Of the year, 88 organised crime syndicates were neutralised with 196 leaders and 490 members or runners arrested. Goods seized carried a monetary value of R1 00 million.

Intelligence-driven action is being focused on 12 other syndicates while an intricate web of national and international links have been uncovered in the lucrative abalone smuggling which is denuding our marine resources.

While overcrowding in correctional centres remains a major challenge for the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) the JCPS is developing a number of integrated strategies that will allow DCS to concentrate on its core business. The main challenge in this regard is dealing with the high number of awaiting trial detainees (ATD's). A marginal decrease in the awaiting trial population has been recorded from 58 144 on 31 March, 2003, to 51 734 on 31 May, 2004. Part of the strategy to speed up the processing of cases relating to ATD's and relieving the accommodation pressure on DCS, is a project driven by the IJS Case Management Task Team. A pilot project is currently being implemented in Gauteng Province with the plan of a national roll-out pending an evaluation..

A number of issues that potentially result in overcrowding will also be looked at such as the arrest policy and practice, trends in arrest categories, prosecution rate, cases going to court, the conviction rate, withdrawal of charges, trends in incarceration levels, sentencing framework and rehabilitation strategies.

A major concern remains the high level of children and youth in correctional centres. By 31 May 2004, a total of 72 721 men and women in the prime of their youth were in DCS facilities, compared to 74 408 that were incarcerated as at 30 April 2003. This includes both ATDs and sentenced offenders.

Case backlogs and awaiting trial detainees are top of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development agenda and the cluster has sustained the Saturday and additional courts which have helped to ease the case backlogs. The backlog of cases pending trial has been reduced by 76 836 from 2001 to early 2004 with an average of 21 953 cases a year finalised in the past three years.

The Integrated Justice System programmes have led to the effective functioning of the criminal justice system in terms of docket preparation and a speedy finalisation of cases which have also led to a reduction of case backlogs.