Mchunu must walk in his lane and not interfere with operational police business – SAPU

The SA Police Union (SAPU) has warned newly appointed police minister Senzo Mchunu to stay on his lane and not try to interfere with operational matters of police.

The union said this a day after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his new cabinet on Sunday night. Ramaphosa appointed Mchunu as the new police minister, Pieter Groenewald as the new minister of correctional services and Cassel Mathale and Conny Boshielo as Mchunu’s deputies.

While the union welcomes Mchunu at the helm, they had a stern warning for him.

“SAPU calls upon Minister Mchunu to walk in his lane and not interfere with operational business of the police as that responsibility constitutionally lies with the national police commissioner. We do not want a police minister who behaves like he or she is the national commissioner,” the union said.

“SAPU commends the president for retaining deputy minister Cassel Mathale as institutional memory is of paramount importance in terms of taking the ministry forward.”

The union also said the new ministers need to hit the ground running.

“The time of celebrations has long passed both the members and the communities are expecting nothing less but the job to be done as a matter of extreme urgency. “This is a new beginning; let us all join hands as communities are keenly waiting for improved service delivery.”

Meanwhile, the Police, Prisons and Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has challenged the new ministers in charge of police, prisons and constitutional development to speedily stop the killings of law enforcement officers, address prisons overcrowding and to declare police murders treasonous. 

Popcru’s call for the government to act harsher against police murderers comes on the backdrop the murder of an Eastern Cape police officer who was gunned down in cold blood during an ambush in Tlokoeng (formerly Mount Fletcher).

The constable was shot dead at about 8.30pm on Thursday while on duty. 

The union said: “We reaffirm our call for the government to publicly declare war against cold-blooded criminals by amending current legislations to classify this barbaric act as treasonous and expect the newly appointed minister to push for legislative amendments in this regard.”

It further said the law enforcement officers have become targeted victims of the worst crime, with attacks and killings escalating in the country.

Under the 7th administration cabinet, which Ramaphosa had to upsize to accommodate 11 parties forming part of the Government of National Unity, the president had to split some portfolios.

The correctional services has been detached from justice and constitutional development portfolio, among other changes .   

Popcru said it was also nervous over frequent introduction of new ministers in the criminal justice cluster because they often come with discontinuity of proposed legislations.  

“For the longest time, the union has been concerned about the frequent changes in ministerial and other leadership positions which have led to policy discontinuity. Popcru is concerned about maintaining stability and continuity in crucial reform processes such as the Criminal Procedure Act already underway, and therefore stresses the importance of a long-term vision that transcends individual tenures and focuses on sustainable improvements,” the union said. 

The union also challenged Groenewald to address overcrowding and short-staffing crisis among the 245 correctional facilities in SA.  

Another issue revealed is that staff complement has fallen from 40,000 in 2009 to the current number of 38,000 men and women in the entire country.

It also added that only 27,000 of the number works prison officials looking after the prisoners while the rest are in admin positions.