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The Portfolio Committee on Police says it is steadfast in the decision that the executive will be held accountable for lapses in security during the recent looting.
Concluding its oversight visit to Gauteng on Wednesday, 21 July 2021, the committee said it would make a follow-up and ensure that members of the executive are held to account, as per Section 92 (2) of the Constitution. Committee Chairperson Tina Joemat-Pettersson said, “Members of the executive are accountable collectively and individually to Parliament, and it will be a dereliction of duty on our part as Members of Parliament if we do not ensure thorough accountability. It is on this basis that we will be suggesting to sister committees within the justice, crime prevention, and security cluster to hold joint meetings to get to the bottom of security lapses during the violence and looting.”
In addition, the committee believes that the R11.8 billion cut to the police budget is the root cause of the police dithering and being slow to respond when called upon. The acknowledgement that the police were overwhelmed due to the lack of human resources and equipment can only be addressed through consideration of the police’s budget.
Therefore, the committee highlighted that as a direct result of budget cuts, the police were unable to undertake their annual intake of 7 000 new trainees into the South African Police Service (SAPS) for two successive years. As a result, according to the committee, additional pressure is placed on the police, given the vast size of the population they serve.
Regarding the arrest of the police officers involved in looting, the committee has called for their prosecution.
Joemat-Pettersson emphasised, “We urge the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to complete the investigations urgently. Also, internal disciplinary proceedings must be instituted to rid the service of rotten apples. We can only regain the credibility of the police through a strong and clear action against rotten apples.”
Meanwhile, the committee commended the actions of the community policing forums (CPFs) which tried to save businesses in the face of threats of physical harm. “We appreciate the work done by the CPFs, despite the many challenges within which they operate. We will engage with the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service and the SAPS to strengthen coordination, as CPFs are a critical pillar in fighting criminality,” Joemat-Pettersson said.
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