At least 300 police officers have taken their own lives since 2017 – Popcru

A Limpopo sergeant allegedly murdered a senior colleague on Sunday 28 July, later turning his gun on himself.

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) responded with sadness, lamenting the working conditions that South Africa’s police are faced with.

The union stated that the number of suicides recorded within the police service ranks the nation’s thin blue line among the highest in the world.

Brigadier one of two shot

The Limpopo incident involved a sergeant arriving at the home of a male former officer, while an active female brigadier who lived nearby was also present at the time.

The sergeant attacked the former officer, injuring but not killing him. The gunman then attacked the brigadier, who was attempting to escape in her car.

“Unfortunately, the suspect fired several shots at her, resulting in her succumbing to the gunshot wounds,” confirmed Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba.

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The sergeant then shot himself while sitting in the brigadier’s vehicle and the first victim was later taken to hospital for treatment.

300 suicides in seven years

Popcru acknowledged the implementation of programmes designed to assist with officer’s mental health but said the programmes had many shortcomings.

“There are claims of lack of confidentiality, and that there are no regular visits to victims, and that the services are stigmatised, limiting individuals’ upward mobility within the ranks,” stated Popcru.

Highlighting the understaffed service, Popcru said this was exacerbated by at least 300 officer taking their own lives since 2017.

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The Employee Health and Wellness (EHW) representatives comprise of psychologists and priests, but Popcru claim they are only ever seen under negative circumstances.

“They never seem to conduct proactive visits to ensure that the members are coping with their work or personal lives,” the union stated.

Prioritise mental health

The union asked police management to make the mandate of the EHW staff clear in order to help build trust in the programmes.

They called for increased confidentiality, proactive visits to stations and a results-based approach to the programmes.

“We lastly urge the police management to play their role in attending to stress caused by the lack of resources, staff shortages, unfair disciplinary issues and over-indebtedness, among others,” Popcru concluded