The South African Police Service (SAPS) top management has reiterated their commitment to good governance, driven by principles of discipline and good management. This follows the release of the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) Annual Report 2010/ 11 which has been welcomed by the SAPS management.
Management will forever employ preventative measures as opposed to a defensive approach, in addressing crucial matters of police conduct. However, it must be noted that ICD is on record saying a lot of cases are mere allegations against our members and further acknowledged a decrease in a number of incidents that have been noted and welcomed by the ICD. This is a clear indication of SAPS' commitment towards its developmental agenda and improvement of discipline within its ranks.
Members of the SAPS are governed by the constitution and the code of conduct when carrying out their fundamental mandate of serving and protecting fellow South Africans. To this end, any behaviour contrary to this is addressed accordingly through existing processes. Independent monitoring is forever encouraged and welcomed by the SAPS in the interest of service delivery.
SAPS management will neither condone nor tolerate gross criminality by our officers. Having said that, it must be noted that SAPS has 200 000 personnel making it the largest organization in the country, with only a fraction of its members being investigated on allegations of criminality.
It is SAPS management's view that if our officers do crime, then they must very well do the time. General Cele has since his appointment as National Commissioner of the SAPS made a commitment to deal decisively with members committing crime on and off duty. “To date a number of police officers have been arrested by their very own colleagues and have been incarcerated indicating our commitment also to rid our organization of crime and corruption", Cele said.
The work done by the ICD is indicative of the objectivity and commitment they have displayed to ensure effective policing. More importantly, this report serves as a reminder that police conduct should always be within the parameters of the law.
The SAPS management continues to encourage members to be obliging to the ICD during investigations as these investigations are carried out not only to prove their guilt but also to prove their innocence. In those cases where there is clearly prima facie evidence, those members must surely face the full brunt of the law. "We will not have a few police officers taking the law into their own hands and bringing the majority of our police officers and the SAPS as a whole into disrepute", warned General Bheki Cele.
Enquiries:
Colonel Vishnu Naidoo
Tel: 0124006573
Cell: 0825674153
E-mail: naidoov@saps.org.za
SAPS remains a developing organisation rooted in principles of discipline and good management
