140 SAPS (South African
Police Service) members who’ve being found guilty of various crimes are still
on active duty in the Western Cape. 49 are repeat
offenders. These include serious crimes and are only up until 2009
i.e. they do not include the past 4 years so the figures will be higher.
Looking at the national report of murderers, rapists and thieves who we are
suppose to entrust our lives to, South Africa is in crisis! No wonder 94% of
you voted in our poll (currently on the left-hand menu) that you do not feel
safe if pulled over by a Knysna SAPS or Provincial Traffic officer.
Here is that info, as
delivered by Diane Kohler Barnard:
New documents reveal that
568 criminal cops are guilty of multiple offences. These are part of the 1448
members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) guilty of criminal offences.
This new information had previously been withheld from the Police Portfolio
Committee and provides information on what can only be viewed as a crisis in
the SAPS.
The breakdown shows that
there were a total of 3204 offences committed
between the 1448 convicted police members who are still employed in
the SAPS. This includes:
- 54 for murder
- 116 for attempted murder
- 37 for rape
- 33 for attempted rape
- 917 for assault
The National Police
Commissioner, Riah Phiyega must take immediate action and dismiss the criminal
police officers from the SAPS, as she is empowered to in terms of section 36 of
the SAPS Act.
The SAPS is
constitutionally entrusted with preventing, combating and investigating crime;
maintaining public order; protecting and securing the inhabitants of South
Africa and their property; and upholding and enforcing the law. It is
imperative that the people entrusted with this duty are not criminals
themselves.
It must also be noted that
for reasons unknown the audit of police criminality only went up until the end
of 2009. The figure could, and the DA believes, would be much higher if
continued to 2012. In 2010/11, 2154 members were criminally charged, only 869
were suspended and only 520 dismissed from the service. In 2011/12, 1323 SAPS
members were charged with murder, rape, armed robbery and corruption. Are those
who were convicted still working within the SAPS? If this audit is anything to
go by, there is a strong possibility that this is the case.
The results we share today
are beyond shameful and the Minister of Police should at the very least make a
public apology to South Africa for allowing convicted criminals to be armed,
dangerous and promoted to the Top Brass at taxpayer’s expense.
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