299 POLICE OFFICERS MURDERED IN 3 YEARS
According to the Minister of Police, Mr. Nathi Mthethwa, 299 members of the Police were murdered between 1 April 2008 until 31 March 2011 and 4 341 members died. He was replying to a question in Parliament by Mr. Pieter Groenewald of the Freedom Front Plus (see below). From 1 January until 31 May this year, 13 members of the Police died while performing their duty, 15 members committed suicide and 57 died from unnatural causes.
"Although the number of murders of Police members since 2008 had declined annually from 105 (2008/2009) to 93 (201/2011), it is worrying that so many members are being murdered. Circumstances of the murders differ but better training is necessary to prevent the murder of Police members.
What is also disconcerting is that 15 members of the Police have committed suicide this year. A proper investigation has to be undertaken into this matter as the number of suicides indicate that members are under extreme pressure and exposed to abnormal circumstances but do not receive the proper psychological assistance," says Mr. Pieter Groenewald (MP), chief spokesperson on Police for the Freedom Front Plus.
Statement issued by Pieter Groenewald, MP, FF Plus chief spokesperson on police, July 26 2011
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