The South African Police Service (SAPS) has expressed deep concern following the tragic deaths of 31 police officers in a mere three-month span.
This alarming trend has reignited calls from police unions to urgently classify police killings as treason, urging President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the matter without delay.
Police unions have posed a poignant question: how many more law enforcement personnel must lose their lives before police killings are officially categorized as the gravest offense?
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the national spokesperson for SAPS, conveyed the gravity of the situation: “A total of 31 police officers have died on and off duty in the past three months. The SAPS management is concerned by the ongoing killings and attacks on police officers.”
Mathe underscored the importance of police officers using necessary force when required while remaining vigilant.
“If force is required, it must at all times be necessary, reasonable, and proportional. We are pleading with our members to not die with the resources and tools they have been given,” Mathe stated.
The South African Policing Union (Sapu) echoed the sentiment, expressing deep disturbance over the rising number of officers being killed.
Lesiba Thobakgale, a Sapu spokesperson, reiterated the call for President Ramaphosa to classify police killings as treason promptly: “The president must declare police killings as treason as a matter of urgency. How many more police officers are supposed to be killed before it is declared treason?”
Also Read: Surge In Police Officer Killings In South Africa Sparks Concerns
Thobakgale emphasized the importance of providing state protection to law enforcement officers facing life-threatening situations, allowing them to act effectively.
A recent policing conference organized by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) convened prominent experts, researchers, practitioners, and professionals to discuss pressing concerns and practical challenges. Popcru’s leadership highlighted the urgent need for reform in the criminal justice system and comprehensive restructuring to optimize law enforcement efforts.
In response, the conference declared several resolutions, including the call for legislative amendments to classify the killing and attacks on law enforcement officers as treason.
The conference also emphasized the need for comprehensive transformation in the criminal justice system and improvements in officers’ safety through the provision of official residential areas.
The outcomes of the conference’s deliberations will be shared across all components of the criminal justice system for consideration and implementation.
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