Experts discuss demilitarising the police force
Experts air their views about the way government runs the national police force.
Local police officers, students and local security industry role-players came together for an insightful seminar held by the Southern Business School (SBS).
The seminar followed Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko’s Budget Speech in July in which he referred to the National Development Plan – Vision for 2030, which includes recommendations to demilitarise the police service.
Government wishes to establish a civilian approach to public order policing instead of the militaristic or perceived militaristic approach.
The focus of the seminar was to look at the impact of the national vision and review the on-off militarising or demilitarising of the SAPS, and the impact not only on members, but also on service delivery.
In attendance to deliver his expert opinion, views and research was Dr Johan Burger, senior researcher for the crime and justice programme at the Institute for Security Studies and a professor extraordinarius at Unisa’s Department of Police Practice.
Touching on one of the more sensitive topics Burger told the attendees that changing police ranks would not turn the police into a force that is more sensitive to the human rights of the people of South Africa.
“The militarisation of the language and the tone of police management must change to end police brutality,” he said, referring to the infamous “shoot to kill” statements made by former deputy minister of safety and security Susan Shabangu in 2008.
Burger lambasted moves by police management to demilitarise the police as a doubtful way of decreasing police brutality and increasing accountability within the police force.
