Mbalula admits to ‘bad apple’ cops

WHILE Police Minister Fikile Mbalula is determined that police should “squeeze the balls” of criminals in the fight against crime, his own backyard is still saddled with rogue officers.

This came to light earlier this week when Mbalula and the top brass of the SAPS, while presenting crime statistics for 2016-17, were quizzed about 1448 officers who have criminal records.

Freedom Front Plus’s Petrus Groenewald asked Mbalula about the accountability of officers found to have criminal records by an SAPS audit.

This was after the minister had confidently committed to bringing back professionalism, discipline and accountability in the police service.

“If he can succeed with those three, he would have done the job well,” Groenewald said before asking what action was taken against the “bad apples” in the SAPS.

Mbalula confirmed there were “bad apples” in the SAPS who needed to be dealt with.

“The issue of rotten potatoes and criminal records has been there because nobody did anything about it,” he said referring to an era when he was a deputy minister of police.

It was precisely because of this, he said, he had gone to the crime intelligence division on his return to the ministry.

“I have realised there are people responsible for sensitive information yet they are not vetted.

“I was shocked to the bones,” Mbalula said.