Samwu angered by Nqakula's metro police plans

Nqakula says it is up to Parliament either to accept or reject amendments to the current police act

The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) is "angered" by safety and security minister Charles Nqakula's saying the integration of metro police forces into the SA police service (SAPS) was inevitable.

"(Samwu) is angered by statements from the minister of safety and security Charles Nqakula that the incorporation of the metro police into the SAPS, through the amendment of the SAPS Act, is unstoppable," a statement issued by the union read. Today, Nqakula told a media briefing at Parliament that no one could stop the incorporation of metro police into the SAPS and that "We are putting together an amendment to our law that will deal with the [issue] of the metro police."

The union accused the police commissioner, Jackie Selebi, of misleading it. "As consistently indicated in the past, Samwu had a meeting with the commissioner (Selebi) on May 2, 2007 at which he stated there was no intention by government to incorporate the metro police into the SA Police Service. The announcement today by the minister implies that the commissioner misled the union."

Nqakula waiting for Parliament to respond
Nqakula said it was up to Parliament either to accept or reject amendments to the current police Act. While municipalities and the SA local government association were being consulted, Nqakula said the process was largely to make them aware of the impending changes.

If the amendments are accepted by Parliament, metro police forces will fall under the command of Selebi. Nqakula said the idea was to turn metro police officers into crime fighting police and not just traffic cops and by-law enforcers. The union said it was not against the incorporation of the police forces, but against the "non consultative manner in which the government wants to proceed with integrating all the different security forces."

Samwu "finds it unacceptable that there is not even an attempt to consult the affected workers." It said that the "quality of policing" would not necessarily improve and that traffic policing should not be reduced, given the high rate of road accidents. - Sapa