POPCRU supports the Krugersdorp four

Upon visiting the scene of the incident and doing further assessments and engagements with our members in Krugersdorp, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) is of the view that not all of what was captured on media platforms reflect an accurate turn-out of events.

Police have over the past months being targeted by criminals, with the sole aim of killing them, a point that they are willing to stop at nothing in their ill-conceived deeds, and for this reason, we have seen many among our ranks leaving behind widowed wives and orphaned children, most recently being Thomas Mavada who was killed in Limpopo while on duty, and other officers in the North West Province.

We send out our heartfelt condolences to the many families and Police who have lost their loved ones, husbands, fathers, mothers, colleagues, and as POPCRU want to assure them that it will never be that their lives were lost in vain. We declare war a relentless war on criminals. No more shall our Police officers fall victim to these senseless killings.

Police officers have for some time being unfairly treated and marginalised by the dominant public opinion as though their lives do not matter. This has led to the demoralising standards we find, and the fact that many are never sure as to whether leaving home for work might be their last day does play into the prospect of feeling unsafe.

The fact of the matter is that the initial suspect in the Krugersdorp matter demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt the willingness to kill Police officers, and this demonstrates that criminals have lost a sense of respect for both civilians’ and Police’s rights to life.

Each incident has its own merits and demerits, and in this instance we are to support the four accused Police Officers throughout their court cases as we have done with others in the past.

We are equally concerned about the posture the Acting National Commissioner has taken by simplistically resorting to suspending the Station Commander without any valid reason and without even bothering to closely look into the matter. We feel that reflects poor leadership on their part. We call on the Police management to become proactive when coming to the welfare of police officers as their silence on the matter is deafening.

We call on communities to join us as we support the accused officers and demonstrate against the multiple unjust police killings that have marred our country in recent months.

We fully support the Krugersdorp 4, and encourage all officers across the country to be vigilant in the same manner.

We reiterate our call that Police should act decisively when confronted with any imminent danger to their lives.

Issued by Richard Mamabolo, Media & Communication Officer, POPCRU, 6 November 2015