Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko said on Friday that he is ready to announce a panel of experts to probe public order policing‚ in order to ensure a transformed police service emerges from the ashes of the Marikana tragedy.
The panel’s formation is in line with the Farlam Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations on the Marikana killings.
The minister was addressing the audience at a policing dialogue hosted by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF) in Johannesburg.
Nhleko said training of police officers will be a focal point of the expert panel’s work‚ giving special attention to crowd management.
Said Nhleko‚ “Training for crowd management [at police colleges] used to be two days. Now it is three weeks. Is this enough?”
He also said the panel should consider the instruments that accompany officers to protests‚ saying that officers being heavily armed is not the ideal.
Furthermore the panel may look into the demilitarisation of police ranks as the Farlam Commission’s findings called for this ongoing debate to be refined‚ Nhleko said.
Police ombudsman Advocate Vusi Pikoli said that 2‚000 officers have been killed since the dawn of our democracy and asked how this will be addressed.
Nhleko said that it was important for society to find a balance between protecting the rights of police officers and civilians.
“If we kill one police officer we are killing ourselves. If you kill one police officer 357 people are without a police officer‚” he said.
Nhleko will announce the expert panel on Friday afternoon.
'A transformed SAPS must rise from ashes of the Marikana tragedy' - Police Minister
Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko said on Friday that he is ready to announce a panel of experts to probe public order policing‚ in order to ensure a transformed police service emerges from the ashes of the Marikana tragedy.
The panel’s formation is in line with the Farlam Commission of Inquiry’s recommendations on the Marikana killings.
The minister was addressing the audience at a policing dialogue hosted by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF) in Johannesburg.
Nhleko said training of police officers will be a focal point of the expert panel’s work‚ giving special attention to crowd management.
Said Nhleko‚ “Training for crowd management [at police colleges] used to be two days. Now it is three weeks. Is this enough?”
He also said the panel should consider the instruments that accompany officers to protests‚ saying that officers being heavily armed is not the ideal.
Furthermore the panel may look into the demilitarisation of police ranks as the Farlam Commission’s findings called for this ongoing debate to be refined‚ Nhleko said.
Police ombudsman Advocate Vusi Pikoli said that 2‚000 officers have been killed since the dawn of our democracy and asked how this will be addressed.
Nhleko said that it was important for society to find a balance between protecting the rights of police officers and civilians.
“If we kill one police officer we are killing ourselves. If you kill one police officer 357 people are without a police officer‚” he said.
Nhleko will announce the expert panel on Friday afternoon.
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