Only Mbalula can make sure SAPS are properly resourced to bring crime down
22 October 2017
The DA’s oversight visit to the Nyanga Police Station this morning is a sad reminder that the South African Police Service (SAPS) is not given what they need at station level to do their jobs and bring down the unacceptably high level of crime in our country.
With the annual crime statistics release on Tuesday, the fact remains that the SAPS are chronically under-trained, under-staffed, under-resourced and under-equipped (four Us), a pervasively shoddy state of affairs rooted in poor leadership with often skewed priorities. This is one of the main reasons why the SAPS is not a professional service that can effectively fight crime and keep South Africans safe.
At the end of the day, the Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula, is the one who decides on where resources for the SAPS are allocated. Minister Mbalula would do well to step outside of his Twitter universe and address the four Us and ensure fit-for-purpose top brass in the police.
Regardless of whether or not Tuesday’s Crime Statistics increase or decrease, we can all agree that crime in our country is unacceptably high.