Issued by: Ministry of Safety and Security
Media statement issued by Mr Sydney Mufamadi, Minister for Safety and Security, Pretoria, 25 June 1996
Members of the South African Police Service dismissed in October 1995
After an unlawful strike at the Pretoria Police College during October 1995, approximately 300 assistant constable sand constables were dismissed from the South African Police Service.
Since then various representations were made to the Minister by POPCRU about the circumstances under which the dismissals took place and about the plight of those members of the police who were dismissed.
In its representations POPCRU made the following points:
- the strike took place a few days after the new labour regulations governing members of the South African Police Service had been promulgated. POPCRU had not informed its members of the new regulations which specified that strikes by members of South African police Service were unlawful and could lead to dismissals from the service. Whilst POPCRU accepts that ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse, it accepts that its failure to inform its members meant that they were not fully aware of the possible consequences of their action. - the decision not to return to classes at the Training College and to go on strike was, at the time, taken at the College without any reference to a POPCRU structure. - the decision by POPCRU to launch an urgent application to the Supreme Court was taken at the Police College. A breakdown in communication between POPCRU members at the College and the POPCRU Executive Committee led to this decision being taken without the knowledge of the POPCRU Executive Committee. The POPCRU Executive Committee is of the view that it was wrong to initiate legal action during the heat of the moment as it has always been POPCRU's policy to explore all other avenues before resorting to litigation.
Most of the 300 members who were dismissed in October 1995 have since then been unemployed. The considerable investment which the South African Police Service had made in them is therefore not being utilized.
In view of the fact that the decision by Police Management to dismiss the members is not being contested, I was prepared, also on compassionate grounds, to give serious consideration to the representations made.
The National Commissioner is, in terms of his authority, in a position to consider applications for enlistment of any individual on the basis of the requirements applicable to the South African Police Service and of the recruitment policy.
Contact person: Maxwell Mulaudzi 0823732005 25 June 1996