Karishma Dipa
JOHANNESBURG: Goodbye majors and lieutenants, and salute the regional commissioners.
These are some of the changes made to the ranks of the SA Police Service (SAPS), which will see several officers around the country being referred to by different titles from tomorrow.
These amendments are in accordance with the regulation of the crime-fighting body, which acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Kgomotso Phahlane signed off last week.
The amendment sees integral changes to the structure of the police, with the addition of a high-ranking title and the removal and replacement of other well-known ones.
This includes a newly established regional commissioner and a senior position which in terms of ranking is second in command, alongside other commissioners, to the national commissioner.
According to the gazette, the regional commissioner falls under the lieutenant-general rank and is categorised on the same level as a deputy national commissioner, divisional commissioner and provincial commissioner.
Despite the introduction of the highly placed commissioner position, other ranks have fallen away and will be included with others.
This includes the rank of major, which will now be referred to as lieutenant-colonel, as well as lieutenants, which will now be called captains. Those who were already lieutenant-colonels and captains will remain the same.
Other ranks to remain unchanged are those of major-general, brigadier, colonel, warrant officer, sergeant and constable.
The Government Gazette also revealed the order of the police ranks which, from top to bottom, are: national commissioner, lieutenant-general (which includes deputy national commissioner, divisional commissioner, regional commissioner and provincial commissioner).
These are followed by major-general, brigadier, colonel, lieutenant-general, captain, warrant officer, sergeant and constable.
The difference between the police ranks is visible on their uniform.
In terms of badges, the highest ranking officer, the national commissioner, will have a badge displaying a crossed sword and baton below four hexagons. The constable, the lowest ranking officer, will wear a shoulder flash with a badge with a golden eight-pointed rayed star, a bezant bearing a green aloe with three red flowers.
It will also display the words “POLICE” and “CONSTABLE.”
In response to queries about the ranks of major and lieutenant which have fallen away, Hawks spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi said: “This is entirely an internal matter which is better explained and understood by all those in the service and within the law enforcement environment.”
But Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said the amendments had nothing to do with salary changes.
“The salary structure does not accommodate these ranks, so we had to amend the initial agreement… and this is the reason for the gazetted changes.”