A Parliamentary Committee said that the recent arrest of SAPS members in Gauteng and Cape Town for being involved in armed robberies using SAPS firearms is an indication that criminal elements in the SAPS are a serious and imminent threat to the execution of law and order in the country.
Committee chairperson, Francois Beukman, said in a statement on Friday that criminal behaviour by members of the SAPS was totally unacceptable.
“The Acting National Commissioner of Police and his management team should do much more to deal with the problem of rotten officers, said Beukman.
“It is concerning that the lack of proper control in the issuing of SAPS firearms, especially R5-rifles, is a matter that is again coming to the fore,“ he added.
Beukman said that the Portfolio Committee on Police expected that the relevant Cluster and Station Commanders will be held accountable for lost and stolen firearms.
“The confidence of the public in the police service is negatively affected by the rogue cop element and the recent Victims Survey published by Stats SA indicates that confidence in the police service is on a slippery slope,” Beukman said.
He said the Committee welcomed the arrest of the SAPS members who were involved in the criminal acts, but it raises serious questions about the recruitment process and vetting procedures in the SAPS.
