“Reaching this milestone was critical for us as this was a very complex and painstaking exercise which entailed the assessment of individual members’ records,” said Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.
He said the process began two years ago and included auditing of all police employees, employed under the South African Police Service Act and Public Service Act.
“It entailed thorough processing of statistical data, cross-checking against the Crime Information System, personnel human resource files and finger printing,” he added.
Mthethwa said the audit process was protracted and took longer than anticipated because part of the approach was to ensure that the ministry exhausted all avenues, be they legal or operational, as well as the labour relations aspects.
“The next step is for the National Commissioner of Police, General Riah Phiyega, to act on the outcome of the audit. I have now instructed her and the management team that feedback on (the) action should be provided to me by the end of October this year,” Mthethwa said.
He indicated that the audit process revealed serious challenges with regard to the management of discipline within the department, and he has instructed officials to develop a long-term discipline strategy.
He further thanked the auditing team, adding that the process going forward will require even more dedication.
