The South African Police Union (SAPU) is challenging the South African Police Service (SAPS) management to re-establishing the specialised police units in their effort to fight serious crimes.
Tumelo Mogodiseng, general secretary of the union, said the 2006 decision to close specialised police units negatively impacted on service delivery to a larger extent.
According to Mogodiseng, this call to re-establish the units comes after the SAPS management recently announced plans to establish a Zama Zama (illegal mining) specialised police unit.
He said the closure of specialised units like murder and robbery as well as serious and violent crimes units demoralised hundreds of dedicated and committed police officers who went an extra mile in the fight against crime in our country.
“Firstly, this move by the management clearly vindicates our long-held view that the 2006 un-researched decision to disband specialised police units was a disaster, suicidal and a costly blunder that the public continues to suffer from up to date,” said Mogodiseng.
“We are on record having expressed our opposition to that decision that we believe was politically motivated.”
He cited the Marikana and the Fees Must Fall movement as tragic events saying they could have been avoided if those specialised police units were not disbanded.
SAPU would like to challenge the SAPS management to come down and engage organised labour on matters of national importance like these, said Mogodiseng.
The establishment of a Zama Zama unit like the then Gold and Diamond Unit is a correct move, according to Mogodiseng and said their union welcomes it adding that this is a long-overdue decision.
“We therefore call upon the SAPS management to act with speed in engaging organised labour in the bargaining chamber for the swift re-establishment of all specialised police units that were disbanded for political reasons without conducting any study or research,” concluded Mogodiseng.
Details: Oscar Skommere 082 604 2158.
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