An attack on SAPS is an attack on the state – Acting President

Acting President Paul Mashatile said that any attack on the South African Police Service (SAPS) was an attack on the state itself. Decisive action must be taken against those responsible for such acts, which amount to high treason.

He spoke at the SAPS National Commemoration Day at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Sunday.

The Government honoured the 39 women and men in blue who died in the line of duty between April 2023 and March 2024. Their names were engraved on the SAPS Memorial Wall in the Union Buildings as a token of gratitude for the sacrifices they made in the line of duty and to protect the nation.

“An attack on SAPS is a direct attack on the state and we must take action against those who commit this crime, which amounts to high treason.”

“[National Commissioner] Gen. Fannie Masemola, police officers must not die with their service weapons holstered when criminals refuse to surrender and shoot at the police. When there is a shootout between police officers and criminals, the police have an obligation to protect their lives as well as those of their colleagues and all community members,” he said.

Acting President Mashatile acknowledged that being a police officer is one of the most dangerous professions and that the idea of ​​leaving one's family for work and never returning can be unsettling.

“In your defense, you must show criminals that you are in control. You must act decisively and use appropriate force commensurate with the threat you face, as required by law. You must intensify your efforts to ensure that you defeat crime.

“Minister Mchunu, we need to ensure that the police have sufficient resources to support their countermeasures against criminals. We also need to find a balance to address the major problem of the growing population that police recruits simply cannot keep up with,” he said.

Acting President Mashatile said the country must strive to achieve the United Nations-proposed ratio of one police officer for every 220 people. He said the ratio of police officers to population in South Africa had increased recently, from about 1:353 in 2014 to 1:427 in 2023.

He explained to the police officers gathered in the Union Buildings that the 39 members of the memorial had entrusted them with the important task of carrying on the baton and maintaining peace and order.

“May you never tire of serving your country by working harder to lock up all offenders in honor of your fallen colleagues. In honor of these brave crime fighters, you must remain steadfast in your determination to keep our communities safe. May you uphold the integrity of the badge of service and tirelessly strive to bring those responsible for the death of a police officer to justice,” he said.

Acting President Mashatile said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, commonly known as the Hawks, arrested 18 suspected police killers between April and June this year.

Twelve of them were convicted and sentenced to a total of 139 years in prison. One of the murderers was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court.

The Hawks are still working to bring justice to families who have lost loved ones in the fight against crime, he said, adding that more cases are pending in court and he hopes they will receive harsh sentences.

“We are deeply concerned about the fact that since 2021, up to today, we have remembered a total of 140 police officers who have lost their lives at the hands of criminals while performing their duties.

“This number is alarmingly high, especially when you consider that these men and women have the potential to lead the future SAPS to a crime-free South Africa,” said Acting President Mashatile.

The Acting President stressed that a cooperative approach to addressing internal problems, which include low morale among members, involvement of SAPS members in criminal activities and outdated infrastructure, was imperative to enable the police to discharge their constitutional obligations.

“Fighting crime should not only be the responsibility of the SAPS; communities are expected to work with the police to combat criminal activities, protect their property and assist in identifying criminals.

“Criminals are people who live in our communities and residents know where they live. Therefore, we call on all community members to inform the police of the whereabouts of the criminals so that they can promptly arrest all criminal elements in our communities,” he said.

Mashatile called for the strengthening of Community Policing Forums (CPF). – SAnews.gov.za