OVER the past three weeks Sowetan has reported a number of cases in which innocent people were the victims of trigger-happy police officers.
OVER the past three weeks Sowetan has reported a number of cases in which innocent people were the victims of trigger-happy police officers.
The government should call police officers to order and educate them on when to use force.
The biggest mistake the Police Ministry has made was to announce this proposed legislative change before the actual change has gone through processes of consultation.
Currently section 49 does make provisions for police officers to shoot when they are in a dangerous situation.
But the ministry should have been more specific as to how and why the legislation should be amended further. Unfortunately they have not taken cognisance of the repercussions such a premature public announcement might have.
No one is condoning the behaviour of criminals that use deadly force to execute their illegal missions, but at the same time there should be a clear distinction between learned cops and enforcers of the law. With this shoot to kill policy being used by the police now no one can tell the difference.
One can only urge the government not to ignore such abuse and anarchy from the police force and to respond promptly to this eruption of societal chaos.
Condolences to the families that have suffered as a result of such recklessness from police officers and shame on those who abuse the blue uniform in order to achieve their selfish goals.
Gugu Ndima, Young Communist League, Johannesburg
Act against killer cops
OVER the past three weeks Sowetan has reported a number of cases in which innocent people were the victims of trigger-happy police officers.
OVER the past three weeks Sowetan has reported a number of cases in which innocent people were the victims of trigger-happy police officers.
The government should call police officers to order and educate them on when to use force.
The biggest mistake the Police Ministry has made was to announce this proposed legislative change before the actual change has gone through processes of consultation.
Currently section 49 does make provisions for police officers to shoot when they are in a dangerous situation.
But the ministry should have been more specific as to how and why the legislation should be amended further. Unfortunately they have not taken cognisance of the repercussions such a premature public announcement might have.
No one is condoning the behaviour of criminals that use deadly force to execute their illegal missions, but at the same time there should be a clear distinction between learned cops and enforcers of the law. With this shoot to kill policy being used by the police now no one can tell the difference.
One can only urge the government not to ignore such abuse and anarchy from the police force and to respond promptly to this eruption of societal chaos.
Condolences to the families that have suffered as a result of such recklessness from police officers and shame on those who abuse the blue uniform in order to achieve their selfish goals.
Gugu Ndima, Young Communist League, Johannesburg