Today's Labour News

IOL reports that while recent crime statistics show that SA continues its free fall into lawlessness, a high number of perpetrators can be found among police officers.

In the last financial year, 5,269 criminal cases were registered with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), which is tasked with investigating crimes committed by police and metro police officers. Many officers are under investigation for a range of crimes, including rape and assault. Officers in Gauteng led the way with 984 criminal complaints lodged against them, followed by the Western Cape with 963 and KwaZulu-Natal with 628. In its 2021/22 annual report, Ipid said the cases included assault, rape and corruption. The organisation said 53 officers were fired, 239 disciplinary convictions were obtained involving 311 officers, while criminal convictions against 20 police officers saw them head to jail for varying periods ranging from eight years to life imprisonment as a result of rape, corruption, police-related death and assault. A breakdown of the cases against police shows that there were 3,407 matters registered for assault by police; 744 related to the discharge of an official firearm; 410 cases of death as a result of police action, and 233 related to deaths in police custody. Institute for Security Studies senior police researcher Dr Johan Berger said there was very little accountability within the police, which was why officers felt they had a good chance of getting away with their crimes.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Wendy Jasson Da Costa at IOL
• Read too, Rapist cops get off with written warnings, at Sunday Times (subscriber access only)

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