Police Committee Chairperson reacts on five matters of public interest and calls for feedback on victims of crime
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police has called on the police management to ensure that investigative officers provide adequate feedback on cases of complainants to families of those who died as a result of criminality.
Mr Beukman urged police management to address the concerns of the Ganas widow who raised serious concern with regard to the lack of feedback from the investigative officer to her husband's murder case and the lack of progress with the investigation. The detective commanders should ensure at all times that case officers give adequate feedback to complainants and families of crime victims.
The Chairperson also raised his concern with vigilante incidents that took place at Siloam and Westenburg in Limpopo during the last weekend. “It is important that community members should report crime to the police, and not to take the law into their own hands. We welcome the arrest of eight suspects by police with regard to a vigilante murder incident in Polokwane,” Mr Beukman said.
Mr Beukman expressed his condolences on behalf of the Portfolio Committee on Police with the family of the off duty police officer who was shot and killed in Khayelitsha in the Western Cape over the weekend. The South African Police Service (SAPS) should do everything possible to arrest the perpetrators of the heinous deed.
Mr Beukman called on the DPCI and the AntiGang Unit to intensify their efforts with regard to the detection of illegal fire-arms in affected communities.
He also highlighted concerns on the matter of police conduct after the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) arrested a constable in Soweto for allegedly raping his girlfriend and a video of police members in Pretoria arresting a suspect was widely distributed. Mr Beukman called for rapid investigation by the IPID.
The committee has always emphasised the need for SAPS members to, at all times, act within the law and ensure that their conduct is in line with the ethos of professional conduct. Members of the public must report criminal behaviour of SAPS members to the IPID so that independent investigations could be undertaken.
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