News24 reports that on Thursday, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) released a statement reacting to the murder of assistant nurse Lebo Monene.
She was gunned down at Tembisa Hospital on Wednesday, allegedly by her partner, a police constable, who has been charged with murder. The constable is in critical condition in hospital after he turned the gun on himself. He gained access to the hospital using a vehicle with blue lights. Popcru indicated in the statement on Thursday: "Such regrettable acts dent the image of the SAPS (SA Police Service) as an organisation, and while we abhor and sturdily discourage such acts, their frequency among members, we believe, are partly as a result of the deep-rooted underlying challenges faced by many among the SAPS ranks." The union went on to comment that acts of suicide within and among members of the SAPS were at an alarming level, with an average of at least 20 reported cases over each of the past two years. It called for urgent measures by all stakeholders “to enhance their roles in curbing this trend as policing is becoming more stressful when compared to other careers or professions.” Meanwhile, the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) said it would be monitoring the situation closely as part of its constitutional mandate.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lwandile Bhengu at News24
- Read too, Cop alleged to have killed nurse girlfriend at Tembisa Hospital charged with murder, at News24
- And also, Shot Tembisa nurse, cop lover were separated, at SowetanLive
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page