Top cop accuses police union of hypocrisy

08/07/2016 The actong national police commissioner,Lt Gen Khomotso Phahlane, during a media briefing on the SAPS's state of readiness forthe upcoming 2016 local government elections. Picture: Phill Magakoe

08/07/2016 The actong national police commissioner,Lt Gen Khomotso Phahlane, during a media briefing on the SAPS's state of readiness forthe upcoming 2016 local government elections. Picture: Phill Magakoe

Published Jul 18, 2016

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Johannesburg - Acting National Police Commissioner Khomotso Phahlane pleaded with Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) members not to apply “double standards” when attacking his performance.

Phahlane, who was addressing delegates at Popcru’s central executive committee (CEC) meeting on Sunday, said the union defended SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng, yet it had failed to do the same for him.

“Why do we apply double standards? When it comes to Phahlane, it’s an attack on Phahlane and it’s okay. But when it comes to Hlaudi - no, it’s an institution and it’s not okay,” Phahlane said.

He had been widely criticised by Popcru since replacing suspended National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega, who is facing a commission of inquiry over her handling of the police on the days leading up to the Marikana massacre.

He received a mixed reaction, from the union’s more than 500 delegates, before making his speech when some delegates tried to sing “we don’t trust hypocrites”.

However, that attempt was quickly foiled by Popcru’s leadership.

One of the issues the union has with him is his “back to basics” approach to policing and fighting crime - the union says it doesn’t understand exactly what that means for policing.

Popcru feared the approach meant reverting to apartheid policing.

Phahlane spent the better part of his speech explaining to delegates that he was not interested in going back to apartheid-style policing.

“We are not interested in what happened prior to 1994, we have an interest in ensuring that the constitution and the regulatory framework which governs policing become a reality,” he said.

Phahlane added that the new approach was geared towards the betterment of the police service and addressing its challenges.

“Together with the minister of police we have advanced our back-to-basics approach and we have spoken to it, and we will continue to talk to each other. We can’t be apologetic if we are to make sure that visibility in the streets of our country becomes a reality,” Phahlane said.

Popcru president Zizamele Cebekhulu cautioned that even though the union’s nationwide strike had been called off, subject to engagements, more dialogue needed to take place with the SAPS, and the departments of correctional services and transport.

The union’s strike was to take place last week, and would have seen its members marching to the various departments to air grievances on working conditions for workers.

In closing the union’s CEC, Cebekhulu said Popcru, which was affiliated to Cosatu, remained on track to grow its membership from 16 000 members to 200 000 by 2019.

One of the union’s strategies is to pull members from the metros’ traffic divisions.

However, whether they will succeed is uncertain because some of the workers are members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), which is also affiliated to Cosatu.

“We are having discussions about this between us and Samwu and looking at that possibility because it’s a potential market and it’s not yet our market,” said Cebekhulu.

Labour Bureau

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