The IFP calls on the Department of Community Safety and Liaison together with SAPS senior leadership in KwaZulu-Natal to weed out corrupt police officers that are denting the image of the service and frustrating the government’s efforts to fight the vice by perpetrating it.
This comes after two men rescued by police from angry vigilante crowd in Jozini after they were accused of cross-border crime and theft of motor vehicles. It is alleged that during the beatings, the victims mentioned the names of police officers who they said are involved a cross-border crime.
As the IFP we are very concerned about the police officers alleged to be colluding with criminals. Police officers are the custodians of law and order. Police officers, like any other person found engaging in wrong-doing, citing corruption, are not above the law. It is very unfortunate that police officers should be the ones in this situation of engaging in corrupt activities. As a police officer, you cannot fight a crime which you are also engaging in. Such people must not be defended at all costs.
As the IFP we want to call on the SAPS management to devise medium and long-term plans to address this problem of corruption in the Police Service. Corrupt police officers do not deserve to be part of the service and we challenge the police management to be decisive and weed out all officers who are sheep by day and wolf by night. We want to see a professional, well-disciplined and non-partisan police service.
The SAPS must deal ruthlessly with personnel who engage in acts of corruption. The rot that has permeated the SAPS with officers donning the blue uniform and badge by day only to turn into dangerous criminals at night must be dealt with accordingly.
Anybody who does not do their duty must be arrested, charged, sentenced and dismissed from the SAPS and promptly replaced by those that are ready to work.
Further the IFP believes that society is should take the responsible in the fight against corrupt law enforcement officials. Citizens should not create an enabling environment for police officers by continuously willing to offer bribes to them when they commit crimes. It is the job of every South African citizen to ensure police stay true to their line of duty with honesty at all times. The people should play their role of paying attention to suspicious activities done by corrupt law enforcement officers and report them instantly. If the society isn’t corrupt there’s no way the law enforcement official can be corrupt. We should not tolerate corrupt police officers in this country.
The IFP urges the public to always report errant and corrupt police officers for action to be taken against them.
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Contact:
Mr Blessed Gwala MPL, IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson on Community Safety and Liaison,
078 290 5842
Date: 11 March 2020