Daily Dispatch
Too many cross thin blue line
THOUSANDS of men and women, when joining the South African Police Service (SAPS), pledge to create a safe and secure country for all who live in it.
However, there are officers who abandon this oath and cross the thin blue line. A 156page report by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) details how hundreds of police officers have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. The very people who are tasked with upholding the Constitution and law, are the ones who now face allegations, including corruption, rape and murder.
In the Eastern Cape, more than 500 officers were the subject of investigations. Ipid has referred 264 cases to the SAPS for action while a further 262 have been sent to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for a decision on whether or not to prosecute. Ipid head Sesoko Matthews said the prosecuting authority had yet to respond to its recommendations.
The police code of conduct clearly states, among others, that officers shall “uphold and protect the fundamental rights of every person”.
It then becomes a major concern when cops fall foul of their duty. Trust broken can be difficult to mend – especially when the law enforcer becomes the criminal.
The SAPS and NPA should deal decisively with any and all officers who break the law to not only deal with the rot within, but to also preserve their reputation with the public.
It only takes a few rogue officers to taint the image of the entire force. Add to this the report to parliament on state firearms being lost or stolen and the latest shenanigans involving Police Minister Fikile Mbalula, and we end up with a public taking a very dim view of our men and women in blue.
In a response to a parliamentary question last week, Mbalula revealed that hundreds of police firearms had been lost or stolen over the past three financial years. While a large number of firearms had been stolen during house break-ins, there were also elements of negligence on the part of officers.
The minister said there had been cases of state firearms being left behind in toilets and bathrooms while some had been lost by officers while under the influence of alcohol.
Earlier this year, 13 guns simply vanished from the Ngangelizwe police station in Mthatha.
The Daily Dispatch reported last month that provincial police lose state firearms at a rate of 128 a year – this despite inspections being conducted twice every financial year and physical verification of firearms at each station. The police bosses need to take a zero tolerance approach to acts of negligence. These guns could end up in the hands of criminals, exposing innocent people to danger.
Despite the controversy at times involving the police service, we should not forget those who leave behind husbands, wives, family and children each day and put their lives on the line to fight crime. We should also remember those who go the extra mile to ensure criminals are brought to book. A crooked few should not impact on or downplay the role of thousands who so diligently serve and protect the citizens of this country.