Police unions have raised concern over the number of police deaths, both on and off duty, this year.
This comes after David Bruce, a policing consultant with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), said a total of 90 police officers were killed in the first nine months of this year from January to September.
The latest crime statistics show that 35 officers were killed on and off duty between July and September 2023. Since the start of the financial year in April, 78 officers were killed in South Africa.
Last week Sergeant Riaad Adams was killed by robbers in Durban and two police officers were buried in Ulundi and Gauteng on Saturday. Public Order Policing (POP) member Constable Sphesihle Cele was shot while on duty at a tavern in Empangeni and Constable Marven Maphoro was shot and killed last week Thursday, while responding to an ATM bombing at a filling station in Tembisa.
The Independent Policing Union Of South Africa (Ipusa) general secretary, Mpho Kwinika, said the union is concerned about the killing of police officers.
Kwinika said tracking police when they are off duty, with the intention to kill them, should be seen as a show of force by these criminals who are not afraid of the system anymore.
“These attacks have an element of intimidation to ordinary citizens who put their hopes on SAPS to protect their lives and properties. These kinds of attacks create an environment of hopelessness in the public to entrust the police with their safety,” he said.
As a result, he said there is an absence of CPF structures throughout the country because they are afraid to be followed home and killed.
According to Kwinika, criminals brag supremacy when one of them kills a cop.
“Others are killed for the purpose of gun robberies, and other killings are job-related,” he said.
Kwinika said the reduced level of training makes police weaker against their opponents.
He said police need to be provided with more support to be able to respond to these attacks.
“That’s why it is important that the department has a sufficient budget to buy bullets for shooting practices and physical training as well. Physical training and more shooting practices should be encouraged. This creates more mental awareness and helps them respond accordingly,” he said.
He said in order for police to be fit for purpose, they need support in terms of Employee health and wellness programmes.
Kwinika noted that community involvement is also important to identify criminals within society.
“The absence of human resources and vehicles makes it possible for them to be attacked because they are easily overwhelmed by situations. South Africa is a very violent society,” he added.
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) spokesperson Richard Mamabolo, said police officers are killed for various reasons, whether on or off duty.
“Mainly for their firearms as they have become easy targets due to their small numbers when on patrol,” he said.
Mamabolo said the murder of off duty police are usually related to the known cases they are investigating.
He added that police officers are backyard dwellers, and their firearms are stolen to further perpetuate criminal activities.
“Most unfortunate is that our men and women in blue, live the life of squalor as they don’t qualify for RDP houses, while they also can’t afford bonded houses,” said Mamabolo.
With the clear rise in fatalities of the country’s police, the National SAPS Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola assured members on Saturday at the funeral service of Constable Maphoro, that they will continue to be capacitated and empowered to respond to criminals and crime.
“The killing of members will not deter us but instead it bolsters our efforts to fight crime. As the management of the service, the capacitation and resourcing of our members, remains an apex priority for management. We will continue to ensure members are tactically trained and well resourced to defend communities,” said Masemola.
The Mercury