Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has reiterated that government unequivocally opposes police who act outside the Constitution and the rule of law.
Decisive action, he said, was being taken against police officials who violated the rights of the people.
“While we all condemn such actions, we also acknowledge that not all police officers engage in such behaviour. The vast majority work within the law in performing their difficult task of protecting the public,” said President Zuma.
He was replying to questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday when he was asked what measures government had put in place to address the brutalisation of ordinary people through the disproportionate use of force by agencies of the state.
Zuma said there were a number of steps that had been taken by the Minister of Police Nathi Mthwthwa to address the issue of SAPS members who were involved in such activities.
Civilian oversight
The President said the Civilian Secretariat for Police Act and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Act had now been enacted and they strengthen the civilian oversight of the police.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has now replaced the Independent Complaints Directorate to investigate police officers who are involved in human rights abuses.
Under this new legislation, Zuma said the police were required to immediately report to the new directorate any cases of abuse of powers by police officers.
“This new directorate can also initiate such investigations. They do not have to wait for the police. Such independent investigations are in line with international best practice in this regard,” Zuma told MPs.
Public Order Policing Policy
Zuma said the introduction of a new Public Order Policing Policy, which was presented to Parliament in 2011, deals with how the police should respond in dealing with citizens in the context of public order policing.
While operationally, the Ministry of Police was ensuring that disciplinary processes and procedures were effective in dealing with both criminality and corruption within the service.
However, the President stressed that training was also critical. From 1994, he said the human rights ethos of police training received specific attention so that government could transform the SAPS into a democratic era police service.
Noting that the country’s police also worked under stressful conditions, Zuma commend the majority of the 200 000 police who performed their tasks diligently, leading to a reduction in serious crimes, and also for acting within the law.
“They deserve the support of the whole nation.”
President Zuma’s comments come as there has been public outcry over police brutality following the death of Mido Macia, a taxi driver, who was dragged behind a police van in Daveyton after being confronted by police over a parking violation. He later died in police custody. - SAnews.gov.za
