DA to report Western Cape SAPS' 'English only' instruction to SAHRC

14 March 2023

The DA will today report the Western Cape SAPS' decision to record complainants' statement in English only - in various police stations -  to the South African Human Rights Commission.

This follows the letter that I wrote yesterday to the National Police Commissioner and the Western Cape Provincial Commissioner to confirm in writing that this practice will not be allowed to happen and that victims who come in to report crimes will be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

The Police Commissioner in the Western Cape seems to be unaware of the The Use of Official Languages Act, 2012 which clearly provides for the use of at least 3 official languages ​​at national level as well as the three most used languages ​​per province.

We will not allow our constitution and the laws of the land to be disregarded and our people's fundamental rights to be taken away from them.

This is not the first time an instruction of this nature has been issued. This has happened before in Limpopo as well as in the Northern Cape. It's now time for the SAPS to be taken to task once and for all and the DA calls on the SAHRC to issue a strict directive.

Issued by Okkie Terblanche, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Police, 14 March 2023