The Mercury reports that Police Minister Bheki Cele told MPs on Tuesday that the police needed R2-billion to promote 66,000 officers, who have not received promotions for several years.  

Cele, who was briefing the police portfolio committee, said he wanted the officers to be accorded the promotions they deserved.  “Any organisation, for it to function, you need to deal with personnel,” he said when the SA Police Service (SAPS) top brass made a presentation on its 2018/19 budget.  Cele indicated that he had spoken to the national police commissioner about the outstanding promotions and had told him that “we had to find this money”, but that he not raised it with the president.  The minister said the promotions would have to possibly be carried out over two financial years if the required funds were ultimately found.  Committee chairman Francois Beukman said it was important that there was a career path for police officers and that it was going to be a priority for the committee.  Gareth Newham of the Institute of Security Studies commented that the figure given by Cele was a third of the SAPS workforce and said:  “The current budget framework for the next three years is not going to allow for massive promotions because it is going to cost too much.  He has to find another way to assist the officers if he believes they need to be recognised and rewarded for work.”

• Read more of this report by Mayibongwe Maqhina at SA Labour News

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page