SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE HAVE 57 MEMBERS WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS

CAPE TOWN– A question posed by the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has led to the disclosure of an administrative bungling which resulted in the South African Police Service (SAPS) receiving into its ranks 57 members of the SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences units across the country who have criminal records.

Now the national police commissioner has given a directive that the police human resource management must clean up the system following a departmental investigation.

One of the biggest police stations in Mangaung in Free State Province is being visited by the DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele. The focus was the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit, to inspect whether it is adequately resourced and staffed, but most importantly to look into the issue of police with criminal records.

Mbhele said: Obviously our concern is that no member should have a criminal record but where there has been glitch in the system there must be recourse for them not to have the stain on their name.

It’s a matter that is already receiving attention in the police management.

National Police spokesperson Brigadier-General Vish Naidoo said: We need to put it in context. Our organization members use State vehicles and immediately when they are involved in a motor vehicle collision, a criminal case is opened because the vehicle belongs to the State. And where the members are found to have acted negligently then those members are convicted. There are cases where the criminal conviction should have been expunged and they haven’t really been expunged.

For those members with more serious criminal cases, internal disciplinary processes are expected to take place.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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