Gauteng police say 8% of officers don't have licences, not 40%

Gauteng police have denied reports that nearly 40% of officers in the province did not have a valid driver's licence, saying it was 8%.

Of the 32 977 operational members in the province 30 163 (91.4%) had a licence, spokesman Brigadier Neville Malila said in a statement.

He was responding to a response community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko gave to the Gauteng legislature last week. Replying to a question from the Democratic Alliance, she said 11 611 SA Police Service operational members in the province did not have driver's licences, compared to 18 872 who did, The Star reported on Friday.

This meant 38% did not have a licence.

Said Malila: "The discrepancy might have been created as a result of temporary licences and expired and renewed licences which were not captured and classified as valid driver's licence... "

He said the matter was clarified during a meeting between police and Mazibuko on Thursday.