The Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, is profoundly concerned about both the high number of escapes from police custody and the number of police officers that have been charged as a result of these escapes.
The Minister is equally concerned about the low conviction rate linked to these officers charged. He has therefore instructed the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) to conduct a full investigation into this matter and to report back to him on both their findings and recommendations, by early next year. Based on the findings of this investigation, the Minister will take appropriate action(s).
“We cannot allow a situation where criminals are hunted, with police risking their lives in the process – only to learn that the criminals have escaped. Whether such escapes are as a result of negligence or alleged bribery, we would not like to pre-empt the situation. It is against this background that we need to get to the bottom of this unscrupulous practice to ensure we bring it to an end,” said the Minister.
He emphasised that Government needs to send a serious message to criminals that once arrested, they cannot enjoy undeserved freedom at the mercy of a ‘few corrupt police officers’. Equally, ensure that if there are any such corrupt officers within the Department, that they are punished accordingly. This tough stance forms part of the new approach of uprooting any criminal acts both within and outside the Department.
Minister Mthethwa’s decision follows a recent report that revealed 251 police officers have been investigated and charged following escapes of 1144 prisoners from custody, nationally. Of the total 251, 112 were from Western Cape, followed by Mpumalanga at 32, North West 28, KwaZulu-Natal 27, Eastern Cape 20, Limpopo 13, Gauteng 12, Northern Cape 5 and the least was Free State with 2.
In cases where some of these police officers were not arrested, charged or discharged after investigation, it was established that not enough evidence or suspicion could be formulated against them on the alleged misconducts. The number of those who were found guilty and discharged was 7, namely: Gauteng 4, Eastern Cape 1, KwaZulu-Natal 1 and Western Cape 1.
For enquiries, please contact:
Zweli Mnisi
Ministerial Spokesperson
Cell: 082 045 4024
Issued by the Ministry of Police
14 December 2009
