‘Focus on cops lacking firearm certificates’

The number of members called up for shooting exercises will be increased

MORE than 2 000 police officers in Gauteng do not have firearm compliance certificates, provincial MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane said.

Nkosi-Malobane was replying to written questions from the DA’s spokesperson on community safety Kate Lorimer in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

Lorimer had asked NkosiMalobane to give her details of police officers who are active without firearm compliance certificates.

She also wanted to know where those officers were stationed and their ranks in the police service.

Nkosi-Malobane said the total number of police officers without those certificates was 2 031.

Of the 2 031 members that are active without a firearm compliance certificate, 627 officers are stationed in Tshwane.

Ekurhuleni has 351 and Joburg has 196. The worst affected stations are Evaton with 45 and Sebokeng with 49 uncertified members.

Lorimer also wanted to find out whether the inability of these officers to renew their firearm compliance certificates was due to a lack of ammunition.

Nkosi-Malobane said it was not the case as “a nationwide shortage of ammunition was experienced for the period May to July 2017”.

“The province was able to carry on with training until the first week of July when the ammunition stocks of the various training centres ran out.

“The division supply chain management received limited stock and started issuing ammunition again during the last week of July 2017,” NkosiMalobane said.

She said the provincial human resources division would be increasing the number of members called up for shooting exercises.

Nkosi-Malobane said that since April this year, 49 members discharged their firearms, 35 of them had valid compliance certificates while 14 had no such certificates.

Reacting to the details, Lorimer said that Nkosi-Malobane should ensure that those police officers undergo competency tests.

“This means these members should not be deployed outside the confines of their stations as the risk and liability are enormous.

“These members are not only a danger to themselves, but to the public whom they are sworn to protect.

“When it comes to rank, 1 034 of these members hold the rank of captain within the SAPS.

“Given the high number of incidents in Gauteng involving police brutality, it is imperative that these officers are taken off the streets and confined to office duty until they have passed their compliance tests.

“Having so many police members not able to competently conduct their duties leaves the residents of Gauteng in the precarious position of being badly under-resourced and under-protected,” Lorimer said.

This was an unacceptable situation that should be remedied urgently, she said.