Cop admin staff take to the streets

A MARCH over salary grades for civilians in the police service yesterday saw hundreds of police administrative staff take to the streets of Kimberley to hand over a memorandum of demands to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

The group of about 600 Police and Prisons’ Civil Rights Union (Popcru) members, dressed in red and yellow, singing struggle songs and waving placards, gathered outside the provincial offices of the SAPS in George Street to hand over a memorandum of demands to the police management.

The demonstrators pointed out that with their salaries they did not qualify for anything.

“We don’t qualify for an RDP house, a housing subsidy or even a bond. We cannot even take our children to decent schools,” they said.

They added that despite working every day and at odd hours, they were deemed useless by the SAPS.

One protester, Puseletso Nkopane, said that despite having worked for 13 years, her salary was still on a level three. “I am very frustrated and demoralised because people who were appointed after me are on the same salary scale, despite my long service in the SAPS.”

The memorandum was handed over by Popcru provincial secre- tary, Boitumelo Pheleo, to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Major-General Peter Shivuri.

In the memorandum, Popcru demanded the upgrading of the salaries of all personnel to level 5.

It also called for supervisors to be upgraded to a level 7 as well as clear career pathing that separated operational personnel and administration personnel, and equal pay for work of equal value.

Popcru gave the SAPS 14 days to respond to the demands, warning that failure to do so would result in a further intensified action.

“We are not ruling out the possibility of a strike or a tools down and if it means we need to shut down every police support service in the Province, including finance, supply chain and human resources, we will do that,” Pheleo said.

Shivuri said it was not in his powers to resolve the demands immediately and he would have to refer them to the Provincial Commissioner of Police, who was not present.

He expressed his gratitude to Popcru for a peaceful march and promised to meet the 14-day deadline.

After handing over the memorandum, Popcru members marched to the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison, where the same memorandum was handed over to the MEC, Patrick Mabilo.