THE South African Police Union (Sapu) is shocked, disappointed and to a certain extent embarrassed that Kader Asmal, a senior leader who was once a cabinet minister, is so arrogant that he is prepared to stick to a system even if it is a failure.

It is a pity that his so-called merger of universities is a hot potato. As Sapu we commend the initiatives to re-militarise the police, fully aware that South Africa is a constitutional state where the rule of law is supreme.

The reintroduction of military ranks in the SAPS and the renaming of the department correctly as the police department are the correct steps in the fight against crime. We call on the political leadership of the SAPS to seriously consider the police training colleges. For instance, if you visit them over weekends now you will think they are a lovers' paradise.

The police is a military establishment that should always be that way. Sapu is not calling for the police to be law unto themselves. They only need to be equipped to fight ruthless criminals. We find it very disappointing that Asmal, who failed at education, would want the current system of the so-called friendly police service to be kept so as to be the darling of the world or the so-called human rights activists.

The police must be allowed to ruthlessly tackle criminals within the spirit of the law. No one, including the police, are above the law.

However, the law must not appear to favour criminals at the expense of law-abiding and committed police officers.

As much as we are for transformation, to us as Sapu that is to improve service delivery, not compromise it.

Oscar Skommere, Pretoria