Why use Reservists to protect police stations instead of civilians?
South African Police Service (SAPS) reservists are, in future, to be deployed as security guards at police stations. According to the SAPS website, Major General Nonkululeko Mbatha says that all security contracts have been terminated and that SAPS members and reservists will take over guard duties.
The SAPS reservists in Gauteng have already received communication from Deputy Provincial Commissioner Gela asking for a list of reservists to take over security duties from contracted security guards.
This is a direct result of the Minister of Police Nathi Mthehwa bowing to the COSATU dictate and refusing to allow contracts for security companies to be renewed. Provincial SAPS management are now looking to Reservists, who offer to fight crime in their own time, for no pay, to act as security guards.
This is a waste of precious SAPS resources. We need our 65 000 SAPS reservists out on the streets keeping our people safe, not guarding the front doors of police stations.
This is particularly true given a proposal contained in the SAPS Annual Performance Plan 2012/3, which would see a reduction in the size of SAPS' membership by 9000 members, and bring an end to the hiring of new personnel and the ending of new admissions to SAPS training academies after January 2013.