SAPS image in tatters and we are R200m poorer, says Phiyega
POLICE have paid out more than R200 million to settle civil claims in the past financial year, Parliament heard yesterday.
National police commissioner General Riah Phiyega also conceded that the police’s image was in tatters and in need of fixing, following cases that made international headlines – like the Marikana massacre and the alleged murder of Mozambican taxi driver Mido Macia by police last year.
Phiyega appeared before a parliamentary committee for the first time this year.
She and her top management endured hours of questioning by the committee on budget under-spending, civil claims against the police, catering and delays with the electronic docket system.
They were briefing Parliament’s portfolio committee on police on how the SAPS spent its R63 billion budget and its financial performance.
Deputy national police commissioner Stefan Schutte revealed that R204m was paid out for civil claims in the past financial year.
“On civil claims we have spent R204m that was settled by the department. When I say settled, that would also include a judgment by a court. And a lot of those, a majority of those, are actually court judgments.”
He said the police’s annual report would give a breakdown of the types of civil claims.
Schutte also revealed that police spent R28.3m on catering during the previous financial year.
Phiyega said one of the things she instituted when she was appointed was a litigation report.
“It’s a monthly litigation report that slices and dices the information by region, by province and by police station,” said Phiyega.
It was her belief that the civil claims should not be a cost that “we should leave just as a runaway cost”.
Committee chairwoman Annelize van Wyk was concerned at an over-expenditure of 140 percent for consultants.
Schutte said the consultant costs were mostly legal costs related to the civil claims.