Pretoria - The amount of money allocated for safety and security in this year's budget, while lower than previous years, reflects an awareness of the problems in these sectors, says the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).
Gareth Newham, head of the Crime and Justice Programme at the ISS, said it was notable that the rate of increase in allocations for safety and security had slowed drastically but this was not necessarily a bad move.
In the past several years, budget allocations for these sectors had increased by seven to 10 percent.
"It's a good thing. It shows that there is a realisation that the problems with police and criminal justice system are not about resources but efficiencies," he said.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in his Budget Speech said the allocation to this sector would increase by five percent over the next three years.
"An additional R12.8 billion has been allocated to the Departments of Police, Justice and Constitutional Development, Correctional Services and the Independent Complaints Directorate.
"The budget provides R2.1 billion for the increase in police personnel to 202 260 in 2013/14, from about 190 000 at present, R670 million is allocated for the upgrade of information technology over the MTEF period, and R490 million is for construction of courts, including new high courts in Nelspruit and Polokwane," said Gordhan.
Total expenditure on public order and safety functions will amount to R91 billion next year, rising to R105 billion in 2013/14.
Newham said allocations towards increasing police personnel was a significant deviation from previous years, pointing out that between 2003 and 2010, 66 000 police personnel had been added to the SAPS - an average of 9 500 a year.
"There has already been a big growth in the numbers (of police officials). We've now reached a point where we don't need big numbers. Instead, we need to focus on the quality of our police."
He said the criminal justice system and police had sufficient numbers and resources, but now needed to start producing results by eliminating corruption within its ranks, improving performance and securing convictions.
