The number of police killings in South Africa is horrifying and government was not doing enough to stop the scourge, acting Cosatu general secretary Bheki Ntshalintshali said.

Ntshalintshali, who was nominated yesterday to replace Zwelinzima Vavi unopposed, said the government would not curb the scourge if police killings were not regarded attack on the state.

He was delivering a political report at the start of the second day of the Cosatu congress this morning at the Gallagher Estate in Midrand.

“It is our responsibility to protect police so that police can protect us. In other countries if you attack police you attack the state,” he said.

“If the government doesn’t understand that the attack on police is an attack on the state then it is going to be tough (to deal with the police killings).

Ntshalintshali said they understood the frustration and pain that Cosatu affiliate Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union was going through.

So frustrated is Popcru that they have discouraged young people from joing the SA Police Service, saying it had become a “slaughter house”.

The congress got off to a peaceful start, with unions that were at loggerheards forced to withdraw offensive statements they made on the first day which was tense from the outset.

The SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) capitulated to pressure to withdraw their comments that delegates of Sadtu, National Union of Mineworkers, among others, as “voting cows”.

This was further proof of how supporters of expelled Cosatu boss Zwelinzima Vavi had lost influence and power in the federation.

However, the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) had to apologise for calling Food and Allied Workers Union delegates and leaders “popstars” for the sake of peace.

Ntshalintshali also encouraged congress to debate the ANC's failure to implement policy suggestions coming from Cosatu.