White police officers should also be deployed in predominantly black areas like Lusikisiki, east of Umtata in the Eastern Cape, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) president Willie Madisha said on Friday.
”This is one public service and all of us are part of it,” he told Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) members during a protest at the SA Police Services (SAPS) headquarters in Pretoria.
There would be no transformation while those with the ”so-called skills” remained in Pretoria, and did not go to where the majority of the people needed their protection, which was in the townships and rural areas, he said.
Earlier on Friday, thousands of Popcru members marched from the Pretoria station to the head office of the Department of Correctional Services to hand over a memorandum with their grievances.
Another memorandum, specifically related to the SAPS, was handed to Les Xinwa, adviser to Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula.
One of Popcru’s concerns relates to the implementation of a resolution dealing with transformation in the public service.
According to the memorandum the top management of the SAPS was ”sabotaging” the resolution.
”The SAPS is still struggling to rid itself of anti-transformation elements that are doing the service and society an untold harm.”
The union complained that services were often duplicated, particularly in the top levels, while efficiency at grass roots level was paralysed.
The memorandum cited nepotism in appointments, as well as ”frustrations and trauma amongst the foot soldiers who are the backbone of policing, resulting in [a] high rate [of] suicides and desertions”.
Better salaries, subsidies for members’ medical scheme of choice and police killings were other issues which Popcru wants addressed.
Madisha said that to protect South Africa’s democracy, policemen and women had to be satisfied.
”We say to you as management; the days of dictatorship are over. The days of ‘skop, skiet en donner’ (kick, shoot and beat up) are over.” – Sapa