MONDAY, 1.00PM:
The newly formed Black Managers Forum (BMF) of the South African Police Service has come in for severe criticism from national police commissioner George Fivaz, who labelled it “reverse racism”. The forum was set up by black officers in the police as a lobbying centre against white racism.
Fivaz said he had already been approached by white managers, angry at the BMF, who wanted to form their own forum — a move which could disrupt the move towards unity in the police.
Fivaz warned against using “wildcat methods” to combat racism, and said: “It is clear to SAPS top management that this matter threatens to unleash extreme tension and divisiveness within the SAPS and also to wipe out gains made in combating racism. Given the conflict potential, the SAPS cannot see its way open to recognising or supporting any race-based organisation or alternative structure such as the BMF.”
BMF officials set up the forum in November to campaign against lack of promotion for black officers, failure to relocate resources to township police stations, and forms of left-over petty apartheid including segregated toilets in some places.