The South African Police Service (SAPS) on Tuesday dismissed as ”incorrect” reports that its restructuring process has stopped.
Director Selby Bokaba said the restructuring process was ongoing.
Statements to the contrary by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) were wrong, he said.
”We are still in talks with Popcru and the various parties involved,” he said.
”We need to engage further as there are certain issues that the union and the SAPS differ on, but as far as we know the restructuring process is still on.”
Bokaba said scheduled meetings between the union and the SAPS were to continue on Wednesday.
SAPS management was also visiting all provinces to ensure the restructuring process was properly implemented.
Popcru said on Tuesday that the SAPS ”unilateral restructuring process” had been stopped.
This was after it reportedly threatened on Sunday to go to court to stop police going ahead with a ”massive” restructuring plan.
Part of the restructuring process requires all police officers to reapply for their positions.
The Democratic Alliance has said Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula and acting police National Commissioner Tim Williams should seriously reconsider the restructuring process.
DA safety and security spokesperson Dianne Kohler Barnard said that since 2000 the SAPS had undergone wave after wave of restructuring.
These were widely believed to be at the root of low morale, loss of skills and uneven service delivery.
”The SAPS has barely recovered from the earlier restructuring process in which the entire area level was removed.
”The communication and logistical gulf between police stations and provincial level may well be one of the reasons why the SAPS experiences such serious problems with staff vacancies, equipment and weapons shortages across the country,” she said. — Sapa