Cadre deployment, cross-border crime - and a R6-million funeral, but there’s hope in the Free State…

Summary

In this interview, Democratic Alliance leader in the Free State, Roy Janilson, discusses the impact of national politics on provincial governance. He highlights the recent shift in power, with opposition parties gaining committee chairpersonships for the first time since 1994, due to the ANC's vote share dropping to 52%. Janilson expresses optimism about the legislature's strengthened position to hold the executive accountable. He also addresses state capture, corruption, and cross-border crime, emphasizing the need for political will and improved law enforcement to combat these issues.

Takeaways

• 📉 The ANC's support in the Free State dropped to 52%, leading to a shift in committee chairpersonships within the Free State Legislature for the first time since 1994.
• 🔄 The Democratic Alliance (DA) and other opposition parties gained chairperson positions in the legislature, reflecting a change in political dynamics.
• 🗳️ The legislature's size is small, with only 30 members, which makes the distribution of positions significant in terms of political influence.
• 🤝 The DA indicated a willingness to work more closely with other parties within the legislature to fulfill its constitutional mandate.
• 🛠️ The legislature's role is to hold the executive accountable, and the DA intends to continue this role from its new positions.
• 📊 The opposition's increased representation on committees from one to two members per committee strengthens their influence in legislative decision-making.
• 🏛️ The ANC had to reduce a cabinet position to provide an additional seat in the legislature but still couldn't achieve the necessary majority.
• 💡 Roy Janilson, the DA leader in the Free State, is optimistic about the legislature's ability to improve oversight and service delivery.
• 🛑 A report by the Public Protector criticized excessive spending on a provincial official's funeral, revealing conflicts of interest and the need for cost capping.
• 🚨 Cross-border crime, including smuggling and cattle rustling, is a significant issue in the Free State with economic and social impacts.
• 🛡️ There is a call for a change in law enforcement culture and policies to effectively combat crime, including the use of technology for rural crime prevention.

Q & A

What significant change occurred in the Free State Legislature last week?

For the first time since 1994, opposition parties received chairpersonship of committees within the Free State Legislature due to the ruling party's vote share dropping to 52%.

How did the Democratic Alliance (DA) benefit from the recent political developments in the Free State?

The DA managed to obtain two chairperson positions in the legislature, one for the committee on petitions and the other for the committee of infrastructure, strengthening their position within the committees.

What was the reason behind the ruling party's inability to fill all committee chair positions?

The ruling party was left with only six seats in the legislature after the executive was constituted, which was insufficient to fill all the required positions due to the opposition having 40 seats.

How does Roy Janilson view the impact of the new legislative dynamics on the Free State?

He is optimistic, believing that the legislature will be stronger and more capable of holding the executive accountable, which he sees as crucial for addressing service delivery issues and corruption.

What was the Public Protector's report about regarding the funeral costs of an MEC?

The report agreed with the DA that the funeral costs were excessive and found a conflict of interest within the Premier's office, recommending capping state funeral costs and disciplinary action against involved officials.

How did the crossborder crime affect the Free State according to Roy Janilson?

Crossborder crime, including smuggling, cattle rustling, and human trafficking, has a significant economic impact and poses serious challenges to law enforcement in the region.

What is the role of the Portfolio Committee of Police in addressing crossborder crime?

The Portfolio Committee of Police, which includes members like Ian Cameron, is expected to improve law enforcement culture and implement policies to effectively combat crossborder crime.

What are some of the challenges faced by the Free State in terms of state capture and corruption?

The challenges include the continuation of cader deployment policies that facilitate state capture, a lack of political will to address these issues, and the ongoing impact on service delivery and human rights.

What is the significance of the arrest and extradition of the former Premier of the Free State?

The arrest and extradition are seen as an opportunity for the state to demonstrate its commitment to fighting corruption through convictions, which could send a strong message to the public.

What are the recommendations made by the Public Protector regarding state funeral costs?

The recommendations include capping state funeral costs by the President and the National Head of Treasury and subjecting certain officials to disciplinary action within specific time frames.

How does Roy Janilson suggest improving law enforcement to combat crime in the Free State?

He suggests decentralizing law enforcement to provincial and local levels, implementing special rural units equipped with technology like drones and cameras, and changing the culture and political will to enforce existing laws.

Outlines

00:00

🗳️ Opposition Party Chairpersonships in Free State Legislature

For the first time since 1994, opposition parties have secured chairperson positions in the Free State Legislature due to a significant drop in the ruling ANC's support to 52%. The legislature, which consists of 30 members, saw the ANC reduced to six seats, while the opposition holds 40. After negotiations, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) each obtained one chairperson position, leading to a more consensus-based dynamic within the legislature. The ANC had to reduce one of their cabinet positions to gain an additional seat in the legislature, but still couldn't fill all required positions. The DA's Roy Janilson expresses optimism for the future, as the legislature is now better equipped to hold the executive accountable.

05:02

💰 Excessive Funeral Costs and Public Protector's Report

The DA reported the excessive spending of nearly 6 million Rand on a provincial government official's funeral to the Public Protector. The report agreed with the DA, highlighting a conflict of interest within the Premier's office and unauthorized increases in the tender. Recommendations include capping state funeral costs by the President and National Treasury and disciplinary actions against involved officials. The report also calls for an investigation by the Hawks. Janilson emphasizes the importance of holding the executive accountable and the negative impact of such excessive spending on public perception.

10:02

🛡️ The Fight Against State Capture and Corruption in the Free State

Roy Janilson discusses the ongoing battle against state capture in the Free State, emphasizing the need to eliminate the cadre deployment policy responsible for corruption. Despite rhetoric from ANC leaders, the same officials who implemented these policies remain in place. Janilson calls for the ANC to make a decisive change and implement expertise-based appointments. He also addresses the impact of state capture on service delivery, particularly the human rights issue of water scarcity, and the submission of a report to the Human Rights Commission for intervention.

15:03

🚨 Cross-Border Crime and Its Impact on the Free State

Janilson addresses the serious issue of cross-border crime, including smuggling, cattle rustling, human trafficking, and drug trafficking, which have significant economic and social impacts. He describes the lack of visible law enforcement and infrastructure at the border, which facilitates these activities. The community has reported tragic stories of local children becoming addicted to drugs trafficked across the border. Janilson calls for a change in the culture of law enforcement, the implementation of special rural units, and the use of technology to combat crime. He expresses hope that the new minister of police and parliamentary portfolio committee will take effective action against cross-border crime.

Keywords

💡National political developments

This term refers to the changes or trends in national-level politics that can influence policies, governance, and political dynamics. In the video, it is mentioned that these developments have affected provincial rule in the Free State, indicating how national politics can have a direct impact on local governance structures.

💡Provincial rule

Provincial rule denotes the governance and administration at the provincial level within a country. The script discusses how provincial rule in the Free State has been influenced by national political events, particularly the shift in power dynamics within the legislature due to election results.

💡Democratic Alliance (DA)

The Democratic Alliance is a political party in South Africa. Roy Janilson, the leader of the DA in the Free State, is interviewed in the video, discussing the implications of recent political changes for the party and the province's governance.

💡Opposition parties

Opposition parties are political groups that are not part of the ruling government. The script highlights a significant event where, for the first time since 1994, opposition parties have received chairpersonship of committees within the Free State Legislature, indicating a shift in the political landscape.

💡Legislature

A legislature is a deliberative assembly with the authority to make, amend, or repeal laws. The video discusses the composition of the Free State Legislature and how the distribution of seats among parties has changed, leading to opposition parties gaining committee chairpersonships.

💡Accountability

Accountability refers to the obligation of individuals or organizations to report on and be responsible for their actions. The script emphasizes the legislature's constitutional mandate to hold the executive accountable, which is a central theme in the discussion of political reforms.

💡State capture

State capture is a form of political corruption where private interests significantly influence a country's policy and governance. The video mentions that state capture was perfected in the Free State, indicating a serious concern about the integrity of the political system and its implications for corruption.

💡Cader deployment policy

Cader deployment policy refers to the practice of placing members of a political party in positions of power within government and state-owned enterprises. The script criticizes this policy as a cause of state capture and suggests that its discontinuation is necessary to combat corruption.

💡Crossborder crime

Crossborder crime involves illegal activities that span across national borders. The video discusses the serious issue of crossborder crime in the Free State, including smuggling, cattle rustling, and human trafficking, and the lack of effective law enforcement to address these crimes.

💡Public Protector

The Public Protector is an independent institution in South Africa responsible for investigating allegations of maladministration in state affairs. The video mentions a report by the Public Protector regarding excessive funeral costs for an MEC, highlighting the role of this institution in holding government officials accountable.

💡Human Rights Commission

The Human Rights Commission is a body that promotes and protects human rights. The script refers to a report submitted to the Human Rights Commission about the impact of state capture on service delivery, emphasizing the broader implications of political corruption on human rights.

Highlights

Opposition parties in the Free State received chairpersonship of committees for the first time since 1994.

The ANC's vote share dropped to 52% in the Free State, leading to a smaller legislature with 30 members.

The Democratic Alliance grew to seven seats in the legislature, half of the 14 non-ANC seats.

Negotiations post-election resulted in the DA obtaining two chairperson positions in the Free State Legislature.

The EFF and Freedom Front each received one committee chairpersonship.

The new dynamic within the legislature is expected to be more consensus-based.

The ANC had to cut a cabinet position to provide an additional seat in the legislature.

The Public Protector's report on excessive funeral costs for an MEC was discussed, with 6 million Rand spent.

The report found a conflict of interest within the Premier's office regarding the funeral costs.

Recommendations include capping state funeral costs and disciplinary action for involved officials.

The fight against state capture in the Free State is ongoing, with calls to end cadre deployment policy.

Crossborder crime, including smuggling and cattle rustling, is a significant issue in the Free State.

The lack of visible law enforcement and infrastructure at the border was highlighted.

Human trafficking and drug trafficking are also part of the crossborder crime problem.

The impact of crossborder crime extends beyond the border communities, affecting the entire province.

The arrest and extradition of a former Premier in the US is expected to lead to convictions in corruption cases.

The need for a change in the culture of law enforcement and political will to implement laws was emphasized.

Decentralization of law enforcement and use of technology to combat crime are suggested as potential solutions.

Transcripts

[Music]

today we look at how National political

developments have affected provincial

rule in the Free State and we speak to

Roy janilson the Democratic Alliance

leader in that Province welcome Roy good

morning Chris thank you Roy what

happened last week we had an

interesting event that took place last

week and that is that for the first time

opposition parties this is since

1994 have received chairpersonship of

committees within the Free State

Legislature and that's as simply because

of pure mathematics thec dropped by

almost 10% to 52% in the Free State we

have a very small legislature of 30

members so after the executive

was constituted and put together thec

were left with six seats in the

legislature as opposed to the total

oppositions 40 and we were very happy

because we grew with an additional seat

to seven so we comprise half of those 14

seats so what it came down to is that

thec were unable to fill all the

positions because after they' filled the

speaker Deputy speaker positions they

still had chair of chairs Chief whip Etc

and um there are eight committees that

needed to be filled so after some time

of negotiation since the election we

managed to obtain um two chairperson

positions the committee on petitions and

the committee of infrastructure in the

legislature and the eff and freedom

front each got one committee

chairpersonship as well and then thec

were able to take up the committee chair

positions this brings in a new type of

dynamic within the legislature where we

will be more consensus based we did

indicate that we will continue to play

an active opposition role in the

legislature because the legislature's

Constitutional mandate is to hold the

executive accountable and that is what

we'll do we'll just be able to do it

from different positions within the

legislature we also increased our

numbers on committees from one person

per committee to two people per

committee which will also strengthen our

position within committees So within the

legislature I think we'll be working

closer together as political parties to

implement the legislature's

Constitutional mandate it's also

interesting because thec even had to cut

one of their C their cabinet positions

one of the

mec's um to give them an additional seat

in the legislature but in spite of that

they they couldn't get the necessary

majority they needed to fill all those

seats and this is something that we

predicted during the election

campaign Ro does that make you more

optimistic for the future of the

province I remember the last time we

spoke you were quite

respondent yes I think um it it makes me

optimistic for two reasons I think the

legislature is stronger and one of the

reasons why we've seen the decay in the

free state of Service delivery and large

scale corruption is because the

legislature wasn't able to carry out its

mandate to hold the

executive um accountable because all the

SE all the senior positions in the

legislature all the committee chair

positions were also held by thec who

were also in the executive which is not

an ideal situation that the P that the

people who cheering the oversight

committees um report to the same people

um within the party over whom they are

supposed to do oversight and who they

supposed to hold accountable so I think

things will look better from the

legislature side and um we obviously

will do everything we can to put

alternatives on the table and ensure

that these benefit the people of the

Free

State Roy now you recent recently

received a public protectors report on

the funeral costs of an MEC can you tell

us what that report contain please yes

um several months ago before the

election one of our mec's passed away

tragically in a motor vehicle accident

near

Windber and unfortunately the provincial

government decided to use this to spend

large amounts of money and close to 6

million Rand was spent on the funeral

costs of the Mec Andy protector and we

regarded this these amounts as excessive

and we reported it to the public

protector and um last or two weeks ago

the public protector brought out a

report and agreed with a DA that the

funeral costs were excessive but went a

little bit further um in the investig

ations and also found that there was a

conflict of interest within the office

of the Premier where officials were

sitting um on the B adjudication

committee but these same officials were

also the people who drafted the

specifications which is a clear conflict

of interest and then there were also

interestingly um increased amounts on on

the tender that weren't in the

specifications that were also approved

subst stantial amounts and the

recommendations of the public protector

are firstly that the president and the

national head of Treasury have to set

the costs for um for State funeral so

they must cap those costs which I think

is a good outcome for the country at

National and provincial levels where

these costs weren't capped previously

and became um excessive and then

secondly the public protector also said

that certain individuals from the

director General in the Free State and

the officials who were involved um must

be subject to dis to disciplinary action

and this within specific time frames and

then also that the walks have to

investigate this and I have confirmed

that the walks are looking into these

costs as well it is tragic that um a

funeral of someone has to be turned into

a public protector report and um we did

our duty as the official opposition but

I think that the executive must take

into account that they're not doing

anyone any favors when they do this and

it it's not it's not good for for them

or for the families involved when this

type of thing happens R the last time we

spoke uh you told me that state capture

was perfected in the free state that the

rule book was written there and was

already applied somewhere else and

that's much of that happened under the

premier ship of a

mar how is the fight to hold him

accountable going Chris that's a that's

a loaded question because in some

respects there have been some

improvements but in other respects it's

more of the same um at provincial level

we've heard rhetoric from our previous

Premier and our current Premier

regarding corruption and how they're

going to fight corruption but the big

fight against corruption is not going to

be from political platforms and in

rhetoric it's going to be actually doing

away with the cader deployment policy

which caused this and and ASM took that

CER deployment policy and turned it into

State capture in the Free State and in

fact fact our always said perfected it

there um as a perfect instrument to

implement um these deals with with with

tenderers in the province and that is

the ma was the major CA of state state

capture in the province and then this

was also exported to the rest of the

country not that it wasn't taking place

in other parts of the country previously

but I think in the pre free state we saw

our um political power merged with

executive authority to implement this

and and perfect it um so there there has

been the retoric from

ourc leaders the newc factions in the

free state but those caders who

implemented these policies are still in

place so the ANC still has to take this

major decision and that is to do away

with kada deployment and bring in

expertise as the main

um instrument for implementing or for

for appointing officials within the

administration and that has yet to be

done and of course at Municipal level

State capture is continuing unabated

because um we see the the impact of this

on Service delivery in our

municipalities as we speak many

municipalities and individuals on the

ground of struggling still struggling

with water they were struggling before

the election and this hasn't changed for

those people's people and this is a

human rights issue we drafted a

substantial report for the Human Rights

Commission before the election which we

submitted to them during their public

hearings in the province we also

published this internationally and we

hope that this will have an impact um on

Service delivery on the ground so we're

waiting for the Human Rights Commission

to bring their report and their

recommendations as well but you know it

impacts on the right to water it impacts

on people's educational rights it has an

economic impact which impacts on

people's right to find employment and um

to look after themselves to to supply

livelihoods for themselves and their

families so it is very Broad in the Free

State because you can't have any

development without water people can

still live without electricity in roads

but what is a basic human right now

Roy former PA has been arrested in the

United States and is going to be

extradited what will that mean for his

upcoming trial well we hope that we will

have convictions because we've seen in

the past that many officials have been

arrested and officials are thrown under

the bus during these investigations

and if we could get a conviction of

someone like a mul's trial starts in

August in Earnest hopefully this time um

it will send a clear message to the

people of the Free State and the country

that the state is serious about dealing

with corruption and we hope that the

state do have a watertight case in this

regard and that we're not going to seen

it like with other previous politicians

in the in the Free State um thrown out

of court um or having the case withdrawn

we hope that we will see convictions but

um obviously it's going to depend on how

well our state prosecution um State

Prosecuting Authority performs and the

state prosecutors and of course on the

political will to actually drive this

through and make sure that that we have

a good outcome and a good outcome is

convictions we want to see people in

Orange overalls in jail not just in the

courts um endlessly turning to other

crime in your region Roy uh some of

bus's viewers have been touched to

complain and share their FR frustrations

with crossborder smuggling of vehicles

with the cattle rustling that's also

continuing unabated what can you tell us

Chris this is one of of the most serious

crimes in the fre that is the

crossborder crime that is taking place

and it has a huge economic impact not

just for our border communities but e

also the larger communities because it's

not just the crime that's taking place

um it's also the the crossborder influx

of illegal immigrants who also involved

in for example the Zama Zas in vom and

the the human trafficking that's also

take taking place there within those

mines the abuse of people in those mins

and um there doesn't seem to be a

solution from law enforcement agencies

for this problem I'm just setting up

special task teams is not enough we need

to see um a reduction in this on the

ground but the crossborder crime is

continuing unabated I visited the Border

um a month or two ago and um actually

witnessed firsthand the lack of law

enforcement On the Border firstly the

infrastructure there is no fence on the

border I I just you know you just walk

across you can see the poles where the

fences were and you just step across

from one side of the border to the other

and as you look across the the hills and

mountains there there's no visible

policing there's no South African

National Defense Force in sight there's

no um police presence there in sight all

what you see are the lutu um citizens

cattle grazing on the South African side

which happens um on a daily basis they

chase their cattle across the border

they graze there when the local farmers

or communities um threaten to impound

the cattle they set the grass and light

during the Fire season and cause fires

out of re venge attacks um and of course

they the physical attacks as well by

these cattle

rustlers but while we were there we were

also informed by the community of human

trafficking that takes place across the

border of the very serious drug

trafficking that's taking place and then

as you mentioned also the vehicle theft

syndicates who crossing the border into

lutu and um this doesn't only affect the

Free State obviously these vehicles are

coming from all over the country and the

drugs don't only flow into the free

state but also into other parts of the

country as well and it's it's some of

the stories we heard they are actually

tragic of um you know local schools on

the border on the South African side

where children are addicted to these

drugs and these drug traffickers come

across the border and during breaks

these kids um have to go and trade

themselves for the drugs we've also you

know heard stories of complicity with

our law enforcement agencies where um

they are in fact um assisting some of

these criminals who are perpetrating

these crimes and um it doesn't seem that

there's the political will at this stage

to deal with these issues at a national

or provincial level and what's also

taking plac is not just those types of

crime but we also see the trafficking on

in um illegal Goods such as um lion

bones for example from from farms in the

Free State because we have um sodic

protocols within the southern African

development community and anything

that's packaged within one of those

sadic countries is not subjected to

searches at our ports of exit so if you

package something in lutu in terms of

those protocols it goes through the

country and it is exported through our

ports of exit without being searched

because the sadic um

agreements um are written in such a way

that the countries are supposed to have

mutual trust so we find that things are

packaged there into containers um

hopefully not humans as well but it's

not impossible and then are exited um

and they not are taken through our

country and to our ports of exit and and

then find their way to places abroad

well with the appointment of a new

minister of police there are people who

are

hopeful uh that there could be action

certainly at National level and

hopefully also at provincial level what

do you think Roy well we are hopeful

that the new government of national

Unity will um follow a new approach when

it comes to dealing with crossborder

crime and we hope that Ian Cameron will

be very successful on the portfolio

Committee of police in Parliament and I

think you did interview him recently as

well so we are hopefully that hopeful

that things will in will improve but

what we'll need to do is improve the

whole culture of law enforcement in the

country um because I always say that the

best deterrent who would be criminals is

the knowledge that if you do commit a

crime you will be detected you will be

convicted and you will be punished the

type of punishment death penalty Etc I

think is less of a deterrent than the

knowledge that you will in fact be um

caught and you will be nailed and jailed

if you commit a crime and we need to to

to bring that about through perhaps

changes in policies and the most

important thing I think is the change in

culture and in the political world to

actually Implement our laws because it's

not the lack of legislation that is

causing the crimes but it's the lack of

implementation of this legislation and

we are very good policies as the da that

we think can assist in the fight against

Crime um the

decentralization of law enforcement to

provincial and local level and then also

the implement ation of special rural

units that can deal with crossborder

crime and Rural crimes using technology

drone technology cameras and various

other means to fight against Crime thank

you that was Democratic Alliance free

state leader Roy yilson speaking to

businesss viewers about crime and

politics in his Province thank you Roy

and I'm Chris

stain thank you Chris

[Music]