The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) is appalled by the unfair treatment towards members of the South African Police Service stationed at the Douglasdale Police Station by their Commanders. The claims which include racism, favouritism and victimisation surfaced in August last year when officers at the station sought intervention from SAPS management. The union is dismayed that after two decades in our democratic dispensation racism in the workplace is still alive. We call on SAPS to stop deviating attention from this grave challenge by threatening to dismiss the members for raising concrete issues. POPCRU condemns this reaction in the harshest terms possible.

Junior officials at the station raised concerns of ill-treatment from the station’s management which is mostly composed of white officers who allegedly still practice apartheid style tendencies. The officers have submitted a range of reports to the SAPS national office on the said claims but they are yet to receive feedback. Instead management resorted to disciplining these members for spurious allegations. All the members wanted was for SAPS to launch an investigation into their complaints and that disciplinary actions be taken against the station’s top management.

The POPCRU delegation hopes to meet with the National Police Commissioner soon to discuss a way forward and ensure that our members are not abused because of the colour of their skin. The provincial leadership will continue to monitor the situation.

Issued by POPCRU 05 February 2015

For more information contact:

Nkosinathi Theledi
POPCRU General Secretary
Cell: 0825677803

Alternatively;

Theto Mahlakoana (Ms)
POPCRU Spokesperson
Tel:            0112424615
Cell:           0768518884
Email:        thetom@popcru.org.za