Pretoria – As the South African police marked 100 years of service on Friday, Minister Nathi Mthethwa said government was more committed than ever to ensure they continue to make advances in the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“A lot of detailed work continues to be done to deal with the various aspects of policing challenges. These would include the focus on detectives, stabilisation of the intelligence environment, focus on training, the management structure of the service and so on,” said Mthethwa.
The event was held at Athlone Stadium in the Western Cape, and attended by police across all ranks, including representatives from police labour unions and community policing forums.
Mthethwa said the 100-year anniversary was an opportune time to reflect on how far the service had come. It was also a good platform to chart the way forward for the next 100 years.
He said police had made strides in transforming their pre-1994 image, where policing was highly centralised with little regard for human rights. The service was now people-centred, with a strong emphasis on serving citizens.
“Since 1994, we have been making steady progress in the fight against crime. This period has been characterised by growing unity in action against crime, a period focused on improving life conditions for all, especially the poor.
“…Both national security and personal security must be advanced through efforts to meet the social, economic and cultural needs of society,” said Mthethwa.
He said going forward, the police needed to strengthen their internal accountability mechanisms at all levels, including improved internal assessments.
“We have a duty to ensure that we focus on leadership skills and development within SAPS. For the next 100 years, we have a duty to expose amongst us those who continue to shame the good image of the SAPS through their devious acts.
“This is important not only in sending a message to police on the ground but also to ensure that actions have consequences,” the minister said.
However, he said a lot of good work was being done, evidenced by the consistent downward trend of crime statistics.
“Nevertheless, we need to do much more,” Mthethwa said. – SAnews.gov.za
