New documents reveal that 568 criminal cops are guilty of multiple offences
It has been revealed that 568 of the 1448 members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) are guilty of multiple and serious criminal offences. This new information had previously been withheld from the Police Portfolio Committee and provides information on what can only be viewed as a crisis in the SAPS (see below).
The breakdown shows that there were a total of 3204 offences committed between the 1448 convicted police members who are still employed in the SAPS. This includes:
- 54 for murder;
- 116 for attempted murder;
- 37 for rape;
- 33 for attempted rape; and
- 917 for assault.
The National Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega must take immediate action and dismiss the criminal police officers from the SAPS, as she is empowered to in terms of section 36 of the SAPS Act.
The SAPS is constitutionally entrusted with preventing, combating and investigating crime; maintaining public order; protecting and securing the inhabitants of South Africa and their property; and upholding and enforcing the law. It is imperative that the people entrusted with this duty are not criminals themselves.
It must also be noted that for reasons unknown the audit of police criminality only went up until the end of 2009. The figure could, and the DA believes, would be much higher if continued to 2012. In 2010/11, 2154 members were criminally charged, only 869 were suspended and only 520 dismissed from the service. In 2011/12, 1323 SAPS members were charged with murder, rape, armed robbery and corruption. Are those who were convicted still working within the SAPS? If this audit is anything to go by, there is a strong possibility that this is the case.
The results we share today are beyond shameful and the Minister of Police should at the very least make a public apology to South Africa for allowing convicted criminals to be armed, dangerous and promoted to the Top Brass at taxpayer's expense.
Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard, DA Shadow Minister of Police, August 18 2013
ACTIVE MEMBERS CONVICTED PER RANK
|
RANK |
TOTAL |
|
TRAIDSMAN AID |
2 |
|
PERS OFFICER,PRINCIPLE |
2 |
|
CONSTABLE |
129 |
|
SERGEANT |
267 |
|
WARRANT OFFICER |
716 |
|
LIEUTENANT |
84 |
|
CAPTAIN |
163 |
|
LT - COLONEL |
43 |
|
MAJOR |
10 |
|
COLONEL |
21 |
|
BRIGADIER |
10 |
|
MAJOR GENERAL |
1 |
|
TOTAL |
1448 |
***
MEMBERS CONVICTED WITH CRIMINAL OFFENCES BUT STILL IN THE SERVICE
|
PROVINCE/DIVISION |
PHYSICALLY ACTIVE |
|
EASTERN CAPE |
275 |
|
FREE STATE |
141 |
|
GAUTENG |
325 |
|
KWAZULU NATAL |
173 |
|
LIMPOPO |
113 |
|
MPUMALANGA |
73 |
|
NORTH WEST |
95 |
|
NORTHERN CAPE |
49 |
|
WESTERN CAPE |
140 |
|
HEAD OFFICE |
64 |
|
TOTAL |
1448 |
***
|
CATEGORIES OF CONVICTIONS |
TOTAL |
|
ATTEMPTET MURDER |
116 |
|
MURDER |
54 |
|
RAPE |
37 |
|
BIGAMY |
2 |
|
CULPABLE HOMICIDE |
21 |
|
ATTEMTED RAPE |
33 |
|
ASSAULT |
917 |
|
CORRUPTION |
516 |
|
AIDING AN ESCAPEE |
8 |
|
THEFT |
827 |
|
HOUSE BREAKING |
30 |
|
RECKLESS AND NEGLIGENCE |
173 |
|
DISCHARGE/HANDLE FIREARM WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL/ POINTING OF FIRE-ARM |
22 |
|
ACT ON DRUGS AND DRUG TRAFFICKING ACT |
11 |
|
CRIMEN INJURIA |
18 |
|
KIDNAPPING |
1 |
|
ROBBERRY |
12 |
|
LOSS OF FIRE-ARM |
36 |
|
MALICIOUS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY |
43 |
|
DESERTION |
6 |
|
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE |
14 |
|
NO DRIVERS LICENSE |
30 |
|
DRIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL |
192 |
|
TERRORISM |
5 |
|
USE OF OTHER PERSONS PROPERTY WITHOUT PERMISSION (STATUTORY LAW) |
23 |
|
OTHER |
16 |
|
ARSON |
1 |
|
HUNTING OF WILD ANIMAL WITHOUT A PERMIT |
3 |
|
DRUGS AND DRUG TRAFFICKING ACT |
7 |
|
EXCEPTION - DEALING IN ARMS OR AMMUNITION OTHERWISE THANUNDER THE AUTHORITY OF A DEALERS LICENCE. |
1 |
|
POSSESSION OF DANGEROUS WEAPONS |
2 |
|
POSSESSION OF UNLISENCED AMMUNITION 2 |
20 |
|
POSSESSION OF GAMBLING MACHINE |
1 |
|
CHILD THEFT |
1 |
|
POSSESSION OF STOLEN GOODS |
5 |
|
TOTAL |
3204 |
* The difference between the 1448 members convicted and the total of convictions is because some of the 1448 members convicyed have multiple convictions as indicated on page 4
***
MEMBERS CONVICTED WITH MULTIPLE OFFENCES FOR THE PERIOD 1972 TO 2009
|
PROVINCE/DIVISION |
NUMBER OF MEMBERS |
|
EASTERN CAPE |
133 |
|
FREE STATE |
61 |
|
GAUTENG |
118 |
|
KWAZULU NATAL |
55 |
|
LIMPOPO |
43 |
|
MPUMALANGA |
30 |
|
NORTH WEST |
35 |
|
NORTHERN CAPE |
24 |
|
WESTERN CAPE |
49 |
|
HEAD OFFICE |
20 |
|
TOTAL |
568 |
* Please take note that the single conviction are excluded hance the total is 568
***
BREAKDOWN OF MEMBERS CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL OFFENCES BEFORE ENLISTMENT FOR THE PERIOD 1972 TO 2009
|
YEARS WHEN CRIMINAL OFFENCE COMMITTED |
NUMBER OF MEMBERS |
|
1972-1982 |
44 |
|
1983-1993 |
152 |
|
1994-2004 |
101 |
|
2005-2009 |
9 |
|
TOTAL |
306 |
***
BREAKDOWN OF MEMBERS CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL OFFENCES AFTER ENLISTMENT FOR THE PERIOD 1972 TO 2009
|
YEAR WHEN CRIMINAL OFFENCE COMMITTED |
NUMBER OF MEMBERS |
|
1978-1988 |
68 |
|
1989-1999 |
519 |
|
2000-2009 |
555 |
|
TOTAL |
1142 |
Source: SAPS
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
