DEAR Editor,-
The Democratic Alliance has revealed the shocking details of the 1 448 criminal police currently working within the SAPS, firearm on hip and with a certainty of being promoted to the top brass.
KZN is the third worst when it comes to the number of criminal police officers on staff – with 173 convicted criminals who have committed at least one crime, but possibly many more. I say this because the 1 448 criminals have committed 3204 crimes – ranging from murder, attempted murder, rape, bigamy, culpable homicide, corruption, housebreaking, drunk driving to 827 cases of theft.
Just 129 are constables, the rest having been promoted – one to as high as major general, 10 to brigadier, 21 to colonel, 10 to major, 43 to lieutenant-colonel and 163 to captain. What could possibly be the rationale for keeping convicted criminals in the police service?
I have asked the minister of police to explain how this happened on his watch, why he has chosen to promote these criminals and why they aren’t dismissed today. I’ve also asked him to apologise to the country.
This is one of the most shameful revelations from within the SAPS since the arrest of Jackie Selebi, then our national police commissioner and president of Interpol.
Now I want to know: Where are the 173 KZN criminals based and what crimes did they commit?
DIANNE KOHLER-BARNARD
MP, Democratic Alliance
