Durban — The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) said attending ceremonial events for slain officers, and noting their names being added to the wall of remembrance, were sad reminders of how many law enforcement personnel were murdered annually.
The union said it would celebrate a decrease in the number of officers’ names being added to the wall of remembrance.
Popcru said this during the SAPS’ National Commemoration Day held on Sunday at the Union Buildings.
Popcru spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said that since the beginning of the year, it had been reported that 33 police officers had been killed while on duty.
He said this meant in that in coming year, 33 or more family members would go through the same process of fallen officers being commemorated.
He said further that the reported number of officers killed while on duty this year excluded those police officials who had been killed while off duty, and that an additional number of officers had been injured while on duty.
Furthermore, he said the majority of injured police officers were not receiving benefits from the SAPS.
“This trend has been taking place while there has not been any plan by the South African Police Service to minimise incidents of police killings, and our calls for a Policing Indaba have clearly fallen on deaf ears,” he said.
Mamabolo said the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act provided for compensation for officers who suffered injuries, contracted diseases and experienced disablement, and that most members agreed that the compensation disbursed was far too little.
He said regarding those who lost their lives while on duty, their immediate families continued to receive a death grant of R250 000, an amount he described as a disgrace. He said the amount had not been increased since the inception of the grant, and it was aimed at assisting the children of the slain officers through their schooling.
“Popcru has always maintained that this amount is insufficient as statistics show that most of the police officers who are killed while on duty are young, most only starting to establish families, with huge responsibilities, while earning salaries that are out of touch with the risks they take daily,” said Mamabolo.
Speaking at the commemoration day on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said 187 suspects had been arrested in connection with the murders of police officials since 2018, with 55 convicted and sentenced during the same period.
Ramaphosa said all perpetrators must be brought to book and commended the police for their work in arresting those who murdered their colleagues.
“If we are to win the war against crime and police killings we need to build healthy, stronger relations between the police and the communities they serve,” said Ramaphosa.
He further offered his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the force.
Daily News