Cry the beloved men and women in blue

APROPOSAL to use the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) to help bail out ailing stateowned entities (SoEs) has seen a premature exodus of seasoned police officers in Zululand.

This is a contentious issue as the thought of allocating hard-earned pension savings to failing state-owned entities such as SAA and Eskom is a massive concern.

At the core of the discussions is Treasury’s proposal to introduce prescribed assets which would force retirement funds to allocate a portion to government-backed assets or invest directly in government infrastructure projects.

The uncertainty and paranoia over the future of hard-earned retirement funds have left police officers with no option but to voluntarily take their pension payouts.

After being in the line of duty for more than three decades, many are contemplating starting new careers.

This has already left a huge void in Zululand police stations, where staff complements are already suffering from low morale, frustration, stress and increasing financial pressure.

Key crime-combatting units are severely understaffed, while senior positions remain unfilled as the skills drain deepens with experienced men and women in blue exiting the force.

The backlog of cases at the police stations and the courts multiplies, leaving officers overwhelmed and buckling under the strain of fatigue and depression.

Once again, short-sighted decisions at the helm have left a huge impact on the ground.

When the country’s most experienced officers are lost to the private industry, how can local police stations bounce back overnight, and what contingency measures have been put in place to fill the sudden vacancies?

Nobody quite thought of the serious repercussions and, again, it is the mass electorate that faces the brunt of bad decision-making.

With South Africa’s crime levels being one of the worst in the world, what is being done to retain our best personnel to ensure that we are not swept away by the tide of crime?

The protectors of society and frontline responders need compassion and empathy. Many have seen no opportunities for growth after decades of service.

Novices have been promoted above many who continue to faithfully serve the people of South Africa.

The men and women in blue deserve more, and government needs to act decisively and immediately to alleviate a mass exodus of experienced policemen and -women.

The safety of the people of South Africa should never be compromised.