How did 40 000 police officers disappear?

19 August 2014

In a bizarre reply to a DA parliamentary question the new Minister of Police, Nathi Nhleko, claims there are only  115 692 operational South African Police Service (SAPS) members. Yet in the current Annual Report the figure - which the DA has used extensively - is 155 531.

The DA will today write to the Minister of Police, Nathi Nhleko, asking if we have 115 692 or 155 531 operational members - the first from his latest reply, the second from the SAPS 2012/13 Annual Report.  Someone is wrong.  However, in the latest admission, while there were 39 000 without competency certificates in July, there are only 9 976 today.

The Minister has sent us a reply claiming that today there are 39 839 operational members of the SAPS - missing?  Have they resigned?  Or has the Minister perhaps been misinformed.  Another concern is that they may have failed their firearm competency test so often, they are no longer eligible to even qualify for a firearm.

Once again we will have to go back to the Minister with further questions - in an attempt to find out who has blundered, or where the mysterious 39 843 operational SAPS members have gone.

The Minister must provide clarity on how many operational SAPS members there are and how many of those do in fact have the requisite competency. 

Text of the reply:

36/1/4/1/2014

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO 880

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 1 AUGUST 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 7-2014)

880. Ms D Kohler (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:

(1) With reference to his reply to question 491 on 24 July 2014, what is the breakdown of operational SA Police Service (SAPS) members with firearm competency certificates in each province;

(2) how many operational SAPS members do not have firearm competency certificates (a) in total and (b) in each province;

(3) will operational SAPS members without firearm competency certificates be allowed to carry firearms;

(4) what steps is he going to take to address the problem of SAPS members without competency certificates who carry firearms?

NW969E

REPLY:

(1) The following table indicates the number of operational members per province who have completed the required training for firearm competency in the SAPS as on 13 July 2013. The statistics are from the Training Administration System (TAS):

(2)(a) No member of the South African Police Service may be issued with a firearm, if they have not undergone the required training on how to use the firearm.

As on 13 July 2014, 11 943 (9.32%) operational members had not yet met all the requirements in order for them to be issued with a firearm competency certificate.

(2)(b) The following table indicates the number of operational members per province who have not yet met all the firearm competency requirements.

(3) A competency certificate requires that members be declared competent to carry any of the three [3] firearms (shotgun, handgun and rifle) issued by the South African Police Service. Members without competency certificates for any of the category of firearms (shotgun, handgun or rifle) may not be allowed to carry that specific firearm.

(4) The process of getting all members to be compliant with all the requirements is on-going. As long as a member has not met all the competency requirements, they may not be allowed to carry an official firearm for which they do not have a competency certificate.

Issued by Parliament, August 19 2014

Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard, DA Shadow Minister of Police, August 19 2014

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