Rogue cops eroding trust in policing

The public’s trust in the police has been pushed to the limit in recent days. This as several men and women in blue are appearing in courts across the country as accused in cases ranging from kidnapping and extortion to rape and murder. The most publicised case involves the tragic killing last week of Eldorado Park teenager Nateniël Julies.

The 16-year-old, who had Down syndrome, was shot dead while at a tuck shop buying biscuits.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has since arrested three police officers — Scorpion Simon Ndyalvane, 46, Caylene Whiteboy, 26, and Vorster Netshiongolo, 36.

They have been charged with murder, possession of prohibited ammunition, defeating the ends of justice, accessory to murder after the fact and discharging a firearm in public.

Closer to home, Nelson Mandela Bay police members have been implicated in two separate cases.

In Uitenhage, a high-ranking officer has been accused of raping a minor, the daughter of a friend.

The colonel, who cannot be named until he pleads, appeared in the Uitenhage Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for his bail application.

The matter was postponed to next week.

In a separate case in Uitenhage, two female police members and a civilian have been arrested on charges of kidnapping, extortion and aggravated robbery.

They allegedly kidnapped a shopkeeper and demanded a ransom of R120,000.

The suspects — who also cannot be named until they have pleaded — appeared in court earlier this week and the matter was postponed to next week for a bail hearing.

So here we are — six police officials whom we know about in front of our courts.

This is by no means commentary on their innocence or guilt. That is for the courts to decide.

What we are questioning is how, in the first place, people entrusted with ensuring our safety and security are ending up being suspects themselves.

Despite the good work of many individual officers, our police generally have a poor reputation for not doing their jobs effectively, for various reasons, including a lack of interest and a shortage of resources.

With an already overstretched police service, we cannot afford a situation where the cops become the criminals.