Popcru takes top cop to task

KwaZulu-Natal acting police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has accused the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) of following a “personal agenda” after it accused him of being divisive.

On Thursday, Popcru hit out at Mkhwanazi for “ill-informed, unfortunate and regrettable utterances” that he allegedly made during a staff meeting at Chatsworth Police Station in Durban.

The union accused the top cop of saying the SA Police Service (Saps) had made a “huge mistake” in hiring Public Service Act employees within its ranks – who fulfil administrative roles – and labelling them as “useless”.

Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamobolo said yesterday: “From what we heard, [Mkhwanazi] was basically discriminating against Public Service Act members, saying if it was up to him Saps would not use them.”

Police officers are employed under the Police Act.

Mamobolo said those employed under the Public Service Act do not get equal treatment with regard to salaries and promotions compared to those employed under the Police Act. “That is why Popcru has decided that we want those falling under the Public Services Act to be incorporated into the Police Act.”

Popcru said a collective agreement was taken at the safety and security sectoral bargaining council last year in which positions of 10111 operators would be moved to the Police Act.

Provincial communications head, Brigadier Jay Naicker, said Mkhwanazi was “surprised” at the allegations, and added they were “baseless”.

Naicker said the comments made by Mkhwanazi at the police station were being quoted out of context. – ANA