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The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) welcomes the announcements by Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko during his debate on the Police budget vote in Parliament yesterday. The Minister has answered our long waited calls to the Police Ministry of professionalising the Police and reviewing the current South African Police Service Act. We hope that the review of the SAPS Act will come as an answer to our plea of translating Public Service Appointees into the Act so they can too enjoy the benefits as their colleagues in blue. Moreover, we trust that the alignment of the current Act with the Constitution will be of benefit to our members and to South African at large.

We acknowledge the steps taken by the Minister in the recruitment processes of new police members entering the department. It is our belief that the vetting, screening, written assessments and physical fitness will not only assist the Police fraternity in appointing suitable candidate but will also build moral and confidence among officers. POPCRU encourages the rigorous testing for their suitability before recruits start with their formal training as well as the call to put them through Training Colleges before they are finally appointed.

All these measures will come in handy especially for the Public Order Policing (POP) where our members are faced with unruly protesters during service delivery demonstrations. The new recruits and the current police officers will be fully capacitated through this programme and thus enhance their mandate of serving and protecting the country’s citizenry. POPCRU is confident that the call of professionalising the Police Service will see ordinary citizens giving high regard to the Police and retaining the relationship between the two parties. We further encourage the South African communities to work with the Police and engage in investigations by divulging any information that would lead to the arrests and convictions of perpetrators of crime and violence.

POPCRU wishes to send its heartfelt condolences to the Morris family on their loss and acknowledges the safe return of the six-year-old Phike son who was kidnapped last week in Bronkhorstspruit. We ensure the families that our members will not rest until the criminals are brought before the arm of the law.