“Lack of proactive policing is one of the causes of the failure by our law enforcement, leading to alcohol outlets not observing the law, the perpetuation of substance and drugs negatively affecting our youth and the barbaric action of mass killings of innocent lives,” he said.
Mkhize said police officers, through the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), were among their 1.7-million members nationally or the more than 227,000 in the province.
Mkhize said police were reactive because of manpower and resources challenges.
“While addressing us in Newcastle, provincial commissioner (Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi) told us that in the province we have about 18,000 police taking care of 11-million people, which is a challenge. Law enforcement has lost about 25,000 members over the past five years as well, so we demand that all those vacancies are filled. We also demand the appointment of competent people to the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) that will prioritise all forms of crimes,” he said.
“It is our observation as Cosatu that our law enforcement agencies lack the capacity of crime prevention and crime intelligence given the reactiveness on the incidents of crime happening in our province.”
Phumlani Duma, provincial chairperson, said one way to be proactive was for crime-prevention agencies to implement roadblocks to prevent guns from moving around provinces or towns — seizing them before they are used to commit murder.
He said high crime levels had an adverse effect on the economy.
“We believe that by dealing with crime we would also be able to deal with the economy, because it also affects the tourism industry. People are scared to move around because they will be robbed or killed, people are scared in their own homes in a democratic country. That’s why we say everyone must rise up and defend the country,” he said.
“We appreciate the police officers who are doing a great job to arrest criminals but we are also saying that if there are corrupt policemen, they must be rooted out and dealt with so we're left with clean officers to serve the society.”
Cosatu called for improved visibility of police through reinforcement of police personnel on the ground and improvement of infrastructure in police stations, including additions to the police fleet.
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Cosatu gatvol at crime in SA, says law enforcement authorities must do better
Image: Sandile Ndlovu
The Congress of South African Trade unions is fed up with the levels of crime in SA.
It held a picket outside the SAPS provincial office in Durban on Friday.
Edwin Mkhize, Cosatu provincial secretary, said the picket was held in protest over the level of crime, mass killings and reactionary response by law enforcement.
“The mass killings that have occurred in Richmond, KwaMakhutha, Inanda, Umgungundlovu and the recent one in Savannah Park in Mariannhill are a symptom of a bigger challenge facing our people.
“Lack of proactive policing is one of the causes of the failure by our law enforcement, leading to alcohol outlets not observing the law, the perpetuation of substance and drugs negatively affecting our youth and the barbaric action of mass killings of innocent lives,” he said.
Mkhize said police officers, through the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), were among their 1.7-million members nationally or the more than 227,000 in the province.
Mkhize said police were reactive because of manpower and resources challenges.
“While addressing us in Newcastle, provincial commissioner (Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi) told us that in the province we have about 18,000 police taking care of 11-million people, which is a challenge. Law enforcement has lost about 25,000 members over the past five years as well, so we demand that all those vacancies are filled. We also demand the appointment of competent people to the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) that will prioritise all forms of crimes,” he said.
“It is our observation as Cosatu that our law enforcement agencies lack the capacity of crime prevention and crime intelligence given the reactiveness on the incidents of crime happening in our province.”
Phumlani Duma, provincial chairperson, said one way to be proactive was for crime-prevention agencies to implement roadblocks to prevent guns from moving around provinces or towns — seizing them before they are used to commit murder.
He said high crime levels had an adverse effect on the economy.
“We believe that by dealing with crime we would also be able to deal with the economy, because it also affects the tourism industry. People are scared to move around because they will be robbed or killed, people are scared in their own homes in a democratic country. That’s why we say everyone must rise up and defend the country,” he said.
“We appreciate the police officers who are doing a great job to arrest criminals but we are also saying that if there are corrupt policemen, they must be rooted out and dealt with so we're left with clean officers to serve the society.”
Cosatu called for improved visibility of police through reinforcement of police personnel on the ground and improvement of infrastructure in police stations, including additions to the police fleet.
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