Sandiso Phaliso
Concerns over the state of the police training college in Philippi were raised during an oversight visit by the Portfolio Committee on Police on Friday.
Amidst no auditing of their annual budget, the kitchen roof was leaking, geysers at the kitchen were not in working order, and trainees were living in sub-standard conditions.
Among other things, the trainees had no hot water provision, having to bathe in cold water, even during the winter. Some of the door locks were broken. Shower and tap handles were not working. And there were three cooks for 560 people, resulting in poor quality food.
Scared to talk, trainees said they were living like “sub-humans in a facility that was supposed to be an example”.
The trainees GroundUp spoke to on condition of anonymity said they were scared to raise their concerns with management or outside parties because they would be subjected to intimidation and reprisals.
“Some of us regret being here but we are here now. If you complain you are threatened that you will fail and go back home. The most vulnerable trainees are females because they are being taken advantage of,” said a trainee.
With SAPS top management present, the Portfolio Committee on Police said it discovered four of the five senior management had no policing experience yet were responsible for training. Allegations of misappropriation of funds and sexual harassment that date back to 2017 had not been resolved through investigations.
Committee chairperson Ian Cameron (DA) said he had known for the last six months or so that there were trainees that were involved in criminality, including drug use and gang activities.
Cameron said interventions in the collapse of the college needed to be high priority. This included the quality of training, treatment of women and criminality among police recruits.
The committee also wanted answers on how the college’s R110-million budget was spent, as no audits were provided.
“Training cannot take place under such horrible conditions. We were told the recruits would be suspended if they speak to me or any member of the committee. It is of paramount importance that we observe the conditions first hand. It is critical that we assess that these facilities meet the necessary standard to support the training of competent and ethical police officers.”
He said what they found in Philippi was “not an isolated issue”.
“It is a reflection of a larger crisis that faces SAPS. And SAPS must be held accountable for ensuring that its training institutions are managed with the highest level of integrity and professionalism,” said Cameron.
He said the committee’s report and recommendations will be sent to Parliament.
Provincial head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), Major General Mathipa, said last October his office was approached about possible corruption at the college.
Makgato said 16 statements had been obtained.
He said internal auditors had been appointed to investigate the R110-million per year expenditure since 2018.
“We are still awaiting the audit report and that report will identify the irregularities and criminal activities.”
He said the audit would also determine a way forward.
SAPS College Head Lieutenant-General Bongiwe Zulu said management was working around the clock to find solutions. Zulu intimated money was flowing into private bank accounts.
“Taking the money into your own bank accounts is against the law. The forensic report will uncover the funds. The investigation will lead us into how this has happened. This is really a problem. We cannot allow this to happen in our institutions,” said Zulu.
(This story first appeared in GroundUp)
