At a press conference today Solidarity will announce the steps it will take on behalf of its members in the South African Police Service (SAPS) to have the implementation of the controversial project for members of the non-statutory forces (NSF) revised. The aim of this project is to promote approximately 600 former freedom fighters in great secrecy.

This action follows after Solidarity earlier served court papers on the SAPS to review the project it intended to implement through a secret human resource project.

According to Solidarity Chief Executive Dirk Hermann, the SAPS had until yesterday (Tuesday 6 November) to respond to Solidarity’s court papers but they failed to do so.

According to Hermann, the NSF project was developed in great secrecy, and in essence, it sets out to appoint so-called NSF members, who are said to have been MK and APLA members, and to create major career leaps for them in the SAPS. “For example, some of those leaps include planned promotions from the rank of sergeant to the rank of brigadier – a leap involving five ranks,” Hermann said.

“This is nothing but an unlawful hijacking of senior positions within the SAPS. Despite two urgent court applications, resulting in court orders in our favour to gain access to information about the project, we still do not have all the answers. What we do know is that an unlawful and irrational decision was made to promote at least 628 NSF members to senior ranks that had been reserved without those positions having been advertised or without such positions even existing or having been approved. The 628 NSF members constitute 0,4% of the total of 150 000 SAPS members. At the moment, 2 000 promotional vacancies are available and in filling them preference would be given to the 628 NSF members. This group of 0,4% will thus take up 30% of the available promotional positions in the SAPS,” Hermann said.

According to Hermann, the NSF project has been approved all the way up to the highest level, but it is shrouded in secrecy because of the reckless promotion of NSF members who do not meet the basic requirements. “In certain cases those persons cannot even read and write properly,” Hermann explained.

Members of the media are invited to attend the press conference on the announcement of the action Solidarity intends to take.

Where: Kremetart Boardroom, Solidarity Building, on the corner of DF Malan Drive and Eendracht Street, Kloofsig
When: 7 November 2018
Time: 12:00
RSVP: francoisr@solidariteit.co.za

Dirk Hermann
Executive Officer: Solidarity
082 461 8485