Police Minister Bheki Cele says the training and curriculum of police recruits will be changed to better equip the men and women in blue to combat criminals, especially police killers.
Cele was speaking at the national SAPS commemoration day for all the police members who died in the line of duty.
The event was being held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, on Sunday.
Fifty seven men in blue were killed in the 2016/2017 financial year. Families of deceased police members also laid wreaths in their honour.
“The national commissioner and myself have agreed that going forward with the intake and recruitment process for police members, the training and curriculum of police officers must change. Their training will be intensified and include a streetwise course for our members to be able to adapt to any situation and occurrence they are faced on a daily basis,” says Cele.
Minister Cele also urged police members not to show any compassion for those who kill their colleagues.
“Don’t be kind when you find the police killers, just don’t be kind. Everybody that kills a police officer must know you have taken the nation on and you have declared war against the nation and you must definitely have sleepless nights,” says Cele.
29 police members died on duty between April 2017 and March 2018, while Constable Siboniso Buthelezi was shot dead near the KwaMashu hostel, north of Durban, just nine days ago.
The police’s Athlenda Mathe has called on all South Africans to observe a moment of silence today as National Police Safety Month kicks off.
“Today we are saying thank you to these members for paying the ultimate price in ensuring that the people of South Africa are and feel safe. We once again call on all South Africans to continue to support the mandate and work of the police in fighting crime to ensure that we do away with criminality in South Africa and that we reduce attacks and killings of our members.”
Watch the full Police commemoration …
