TimesLive reports that the Public Servants Association (PSA) lamented on Wednesday that lawlessness had reached unprecedented levels and law-enforcement officers were no longer feared by criminals.

This was said by the PSA as it condemned the “senseless and barbaric” killing of two Boksburg community correctional officers in Duduza on Tuesday. The officers were murdered while pursuing a parolee who had absconded. “The situation is worsened by severe staff shortages in the department of correctional services (DCS) and the leniency of the system in offering unmerited parole to unworthy offenders. It is well documented that the DCS is severely understaffed, which is contributing to ongoing violent attacks on correctional officers by inmates,” said the union, which represents more than 14,000 employees at the DCS. The union said it had been informed about a shortage of batons and safety vests, which further exposed the employees to risks. It said: “The PSA cannot stand by and see that these employees are attacked when the DCS is doing nothing to ensure that its establishment is strengthened and that correctional officers are equipped with the required safety equipment.” The PSA urged justice and correctional services minister Ronald Lamola to prioritise the safety of correctional officials by ensuring the DCS was adequately resourced in terms of staff and required equipment.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLive

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