Parliament, Wednesday, 10 May 2017 – The Portfolio Committee on Police has taken note of recent incidents in Vuwani, Coligny and Ennerdale, Eldorado Park and Richards Bay, where protests have escalated to violence and have contributed to the disruption of civic, school and business activities, and have led to damage of municipal infrastructure and housing.
The Committee calls on community members to exercise their constitutional right to protest within the confines of the law and refrain from breaking the law and becoming involved in criminal activities.
The Committee would also like to remind communities that it is the South African Police Service (SAPS) that has a constitutional duty to protect and secure the inhabitants of the Republic and their property, and to uphold and enforce the law. In this regard, the Committee calls on communities to work with the SAPS to deal with any criminal elements and not to take the law into their own hands.
“As a country, we cannot allow vigilante groups and armed groups to become the first respondents in volatile situations. This is the role of the SAPS,” said Committee Chairperson, Mr Francois Beukman.
The Committee welcomes efforts by cluster and station commanders to bring together role players in an attempt to diffuse some of the recent volatile situations.
Mr Beukman said the SAPS leadership must ensure that the necessary deployments are made and maintained in order to stabilise the various situations. He called for the effective use of the crime intelligence programme as one important way to deal with these challenges.
The Committee said attacks on members of the SAPS must be dealt with as a matter of urgency and called on the National Prosecuting Authority to prioritise such cases. “Any attack on law enforcement officers cannot be tolerated. The attack on the officers in Richards Bay, for example, is again an indication that certain elements do not appreciate the basic foundations of security in a constitutional state,” said Mr Beukman.
The Committee also called on community leaders and other relevant parties to refrain from making inflammatory statements that could lead to the escalation of conflicts between communities and the state. Rather they should lead by example and be part of the solution to service delivery matters.
“If our people have suspicions of racist acts, they should immediately report these to the Human Rights Commission for investigation. Also, any allegations of improper conduct by local government officials should be reported to the Public Protector and other relevant constitutional bodies,” Mr Beukman added.
ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MR FRANCOIS BEUKMAN
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