Clamour builds for inclusion of religious wristbands in police dress code

KWAZULU-NATAL police are awaiting feedback from the national office about their call to amend the police dress code policy to allow the wearing of religious wristbands.

KZN police spokesman, Colonel Jay Naicker, said the police dress code did not allow anything on the wrist except a watch, but said the matter was now with the national police office for consideration of whether the dress code needs to be amended.

“We are a national department, and therefore only the national office can amend the dress code to accommodate the wearing of red strings and skins while in uniform. We are currently awaiting feedback from legal services at the national office,” he said.

Twenty-three police officers had lodged grievances against a Pinetown station commander, Brigadier Owen Zama, after they were told to remove the red strings worn as a religious symbols of blessing and protection.

The police officers, who are union members, alleged Zama told Hindu officers to remove the strings last month because wearing them was in violation of the police dress code.

The SA Policing Union’s regional chairman and a victim of the order, Lieutenant Yoga Gounden, yesterday said wearing strings or other religious wristbands was correct.

“This is our right and we should not be instructed to remove them. Members do not want any interference when it comes to religion. As a shortterm solution the department (police) should respect our rights by allowing us to wear these strings. But as a longterm solution, the union wants the policy to be amended because this affects many people,” he said.

Gounden said the officers should be allowed to wear their strings until the national department provided clarity on the matter.

Reacting to the news, George Mari, a member of the provincial legislature, urged KZN Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu to intervene, saying it was a “potentially explosive situation”.

“This internal battle cannot be permitted to spill over and disrupt services to the Pine- town community. The safety of residents must remain the station’s top priority. It is essential that the MEC intervene and conduct his own fact-finding mission so that the matter is resolved,” he said.

Kwenza Nxele, Police and Prison’s Civil Rights Union provincial secretary, said the police dress code policy did not allow religious strings and animal skins around the wrist.

In an interview with Daily News’s sister newspaper Iso- lezwe last month, Zama said he was not making the rules, but only following what was in the police dress code policy.

KZN Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Department spokesman Kwanele Ncalane said the MEC would consult with police management to seek clarity on how the matter was being addressed.

He said the department had noted complaints lodged by unhappy members on the issue.