Durban — The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has welcomed the pass-out parade of over 8 000 police trainees from December 13-15.
The union said this inclusion into the South African Police Service (SAPS) is a step in the right direction as it will enhance its capacity to fulfil its constitutional mandate of ensuring the safety and security of South Africans.
However, Popcru President Thulani Ngwenya had recently said the killing of police officers remained one of the most disturbing crimes that undermines the proper functioning of the criminal justice cluster in the country.
He said police officers have become targeted victims of the worst crime, with attacks and killings escalating in the country. Ngwenya said, “this unfolding national crisis had the potential of threatening the country’s peace and stability as the majority of these dedicated men and women were killed on duty while preventing, combating or solving a crime.”
He said some were attacked or ambushed when conducting patrols and their official firearms and uniforms were stolen with the probable intention of committing further crimes.
“We regard the killing of our members as an attack on the authority of the state as this undermines the rule of law. It therefore cannot be acceptable that police officers who go out there to protect and to serve, are killed and the government remains unshaken. The government must publicly declare war against cold-blooded criminals who commit this deadly crime, and the current legislation must be amended to classify this barbaric act as treason,” said Ngwenya.
He further said the mandatory life sentence for those found guilty must be effected as a matter of urgency to effectively prevent this plague.
In his release of the quarter two crime statistics 2023/2024 the Minister of Police Bheki Cele said 35 police officers were killed on and off duty, between July and September 2023 as well as 19 law enforcement officers attached to national, provincial and local government as well as private security.
In his welcome to the new police officers KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi urged them to remain vigilant and tactically alert at all times. “Criminals have become increasingly aggressive, and your safety is paramount,” he said.
He further cautioned the new recruits to execute their duties within the confines of the law, resisting any temptation to engage in corruption or unethical conduct. “Wear your uniform with pride and dignity, adhering to the SAPS Code of Conduct,” said Mkhwanazi.
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