SAPS officials promoted

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Pretoria - In a quest to beef up the South African Police Service (SAPS), National Commissioner General Riah Phiyega has promoted members in various divisions countrywide.  

The suitable members were promoted a rank or level higher, while others remained in their current rank or level but had their salaries adjusted.

“We have introduced a number of measures, some of which will see more than 7000 Constables and Sergeants being promoted to the next ranks in the current financial year,” Phiyega said in media briefing on Wednesday.

She said R150 million will be set aside for the next financial year to promote another 7000 Constables and Sergeants who will be having 11 years of service at the time of promotion. 

For the grade progression, about 3761 Constables will be moved to Sergeants and 3614 Sergeants to Warrant Officers. The criteria for this is that they should be in the ranks for more than 11 years and more.

Another 87 514 employees, including those who are employed under the Police Act and Public Service Act, will receive a pay progressions of 4%.

“The realisation of this progression exercise will kick in October 2015. These interventions will address most of the promotion related issues,” she said, adding that they have set aside R580 million for this in the current financial year.

Solidarity had declared a dispute with the SAPS in 2011 after it said members of minority groups had been unfairly discriminated against with respect to appointments on the level of Lieutenant, Captain and Major.

This led to the freezing of about 1611 promotional posts. These posts, according to the Commissioner, would have seen 111 Whites, 21 Indians, 117 Coloureds and 1362 Africans being promoted.

“As SAPS we are now stuck and cannot move forward we have to wait for the court process which has to run its course.”

Phiyega said the SAPS keep to an employment plan that is racially, culturally and gender representative of all racial demographics of the country.

Meanwhile, Phiyega announced that she had appointed Lieutenant General Phalaphala Ramikosi as a chief financial officer with effect from 1 October 2015.

She also announced that the special team investigating Rodavan Krejcir will be moved one rank up.

“Given where we are with the investigation, we can say with confidence that Krejcir will spend time behind bars. He knows it and that is why he is trying to escape,” she said, referring to Gauteng police foiling an attempted escape by the Czech fugitive in a raid on his prison cell uncovering several items including a 9 millimeter pistol.

The promotions came a day after the release of the national annual crime statistics for the 2014/15 financial year which covers from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 reporting period.

General Phiyega said the appointments are amid at keeping the men and women in blue motivated and meet the capacity challenges as they continue to in the fight against crime. - SAnews.gov.za