Johannesburg - Goodbye majors and lieutenants, and salute the regional commissioners.
These are some of the changes made to the ranks of the SAPS that will see those officers around the country being referred to by different titles from on Wednesday.
These amendments are in accordance with the regulations of the crime-fighting body, which acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane signed off and gazetted 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 others.
This includes a newly established regional commissioner, a senior position which in terms of ranking is second in command, alongside other commissioners of a similar calibre, to the national commissioner.
According to the Gazette, the regional commissioner falls under the lieutenant-general rank and is categorised in the same level as that of deputy national commissioner, divisional commissioner and provincial commissioner.
Despite the introduction of the highly placed commissioner position, some 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 officers who were already lieutenant-colonels and captains will remain the same.
Other police ranks to remain unchanged are that of major-general, brigadier, colonel, warrant officer, sergeant and constable.
The 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 the ranks of major-general, brigadier, colonel, lieutenant-general, captain, warrant officer, sergeant and constable.
The difference between the police ranks is visible on their uniform, with specific badges, buttons and cap peaks.
In terms of badges, the highest ranking officer, which is the national commissioner, will have a badge displaying a crossed sword and baton below four hexagons.
The constable, the lowest-ranking police officer, will wear a shoulder flash with a badge displaying a golden eight-pointed star, a bezant bearing a green aloe with three red flowers.
It will also display the words “POLICE” and “CONSTABLE”.
Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said the department “has contextualised the introduction of regional commissioners within the management intervention environment. This is entirely an internal matter within the law enforcement environment.”
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union spokesman Richard Mamabolo explained that the amendments have nothing to do with salary changes.
“The salary structure of the SAPS does not accommodate these ranks, so we had to amend the initial agreement, and this is the reason for the gazetted changes.”
@Karishma_Dipa
The Star