THERE has been a disturbing exaggeration and misuse of the so-called "shoot to kill" remark by some sections of the community, opposition political parties and the media.
In a report headlined "Cops need training" (Sowetan, November 3) a family member who allegedly witnessed the killing of a Pretoria youth, Kgothatso Ndobe, by the police, alleges that a senior police official on the scene told her the policeman who had killed the youth was following an instruction to "shoot to kill".
Who issued the instruction, when and where? I hope the family member will be able to identify the senior official who allegedly uttered such a remark and give a sworn statement to the relevant authorities.
I need to place it on record that there is not a single police official employed by the SA Police Service who can claim not to know the provisions of Section 49 as they are properly taught the intrinsic provisions of the law governing the use of lethal force at all 10 basic training institutions of the SAPS.
The IFP in Gauteng has opportunistically called for more training of the police. I don't want to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation into Ndobe's killing, but it is important to say not all police ignore regulations and commit acts alien to their training.
When SAPS members commit criminal acts and transgress its regulations, they do not represent the SAPS. And such "delinquent" cops get their just deserts.
Selby Bokaba,SAPS communications manager,Pretoria
Exaggeration over shoot to kill
THERE has been a disturbing exaggeration and misuse of the so-called "shoot to kill" remark by some sections of the community, opposition political parties and the media.
In a report headlined "Cops need training" (Sowetan, November 3) a family member who allegedly witnessed the killing of a Pretoria youth, Kgothatso Ndobe, by the police, alleges that a senior police official on the scene told her the policeman who had killed the youth was following an instruction to "shoot to kill".
Who issued the instruction, when and where? I hope the family member will be able to identify the senior official who allegedly uttered such a remark and give a sworn statement to the relevant authorities.
I need to place it on record that there is not a single police official employed by the SA Police Service who can claim not to know the provisions of Section 49 as they are properly taught the intrinsic provisions of the law governing the use of lethal force at all 10 basic training institutions of the SAPS.
The IFP in Gauteng has opportunistically called for more training of the police. I don't want to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation into Ndobe's killing, but it is important to say not all police ignore regulations and commit acts alien to their training.
When SAPS members commit criminal acts and transgress its regulations, they do not represent the SAPS. And such "delinquent" cops get their just deserts.
Selby Bokaba,SAPS communications manager,Pretoria
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