The Portfolio Committee on Police has urged the South African Police Service (SAPS) senior managers to urgently strengthen the organisation’s psycho-social interventions to enable members to better cope with the pressures they encounter in the course of their duties. The committee today received a briefing on the alleged assault on civilians committed by SAPS members in the Presidential Protection Services.

“The committee reiterated its condemnation of the incident and emphasised that it undermines the good standing of the police in the eyes of the general public. The negative trust deficit between the community and the SAPS will only be overturned if members of the SAPS operate within the prescribed code of conduct,” said Mr Nocks Seabi, the Acting Chairperson of the committee.

The committee meanwhile accepts that the matter is currently receiving the necessary attention in court and will await the outcome thereof. Nonetheless, the committee reiterated that internal disciplinary processes must continue and urged SAPS to ensure these processes are completed urgently.

The committee has also reiterated the need for continuous training on the SAPS code of conduct to ensure that members always act within the confines of the code and the law. “While we don’t know the intrinsic details around the incident, the important thing is the respect of the rule of law. The police must always act reasonably,” Mr Seabi emphasised.

The committee has resolved to defer its engagement on the problem of illegal mining across the country with a view of broadening the discussion and inviting other relevant stakeholders such as the Department of Minerals and Energy to ensure a broader discussion on the matter. The committee will work hard to ensure that this meeting takes place.

Meanwhile, the committee has also resolved to hold a meeting on Friday, 18 August 2023 to receive the 2023/24 first quarter crime statistics. The committee considers this meeting necessary to ensure effective oversight.

Source: Parliament of South Africa