Members of the South African Police Service struggle to control ANC supporters outside a community hall in Orange Farm. File photo
According to a treasury report submitted to Parliament last week, this could see the police service placing a moratorium on the recruitment of new members from 2013.
Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard said the country could not afford to have fewer police officers.
“With one of the world’s highest crime rates, we need more police officials. This suggestion bodes ill for the improvement of the police’s specialised services, especially detectives and the forensic division.”
Kohler-Barnard said the head of the police’s forensic laboratory had already been told no new staff could be hired, in accordance with the recommendation.
Police spokesperson Colonel Vish Naidoo said on Sunday that treasury had only made a recommendation and that the figure of 9 000 was not definite.
“It will happen over a long period of time. Nobody’s job is under threat. The idea is to reduce existing staff numbers through natural means, resignations, retirements … that kind of thing.”
Naidoo said the police had appointed around 55 000 new members between 2005 and 2009 ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
“This means that we appointed about 11 000 people a year, whereas we usually appoint only about 3 500 a year.”
In a statement on Monday, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) said it did not support the effort to reduce staff members in the police service.
“We will engage further with [SAPS] management after studying the annual performance plan which contains this assertion,” spokesperson Theto Mahlakoana said in a statement.
“Our position is that the country needs more police officers now more than ever and it’s quite unfortunate that there are talks of reductions.”
Popcru said it was pleased that the recommendation was not definite. – Sapa