DURBAN - Police Minister Bheki Cele says they have lost more than 600 officers due to Covid-19.
Cele, who was delivering his budget vote speech in the National Council of Provinces on Wednesday, said they will continue to intensify crime fighting in hotspot areas.
They have identified hotspot areas and have allocated more money in provinces with high crime rates.
But the impact of Covid-19 has been felt in the police with many officers losing their lives.
“We have painfully lost hundreds of our employees both uniform members and support personnel across departments and entities. To date 636 police members have died of Covid-19 related complications and 29 334 have recovered. Many of them could not get their well- deserved dignified send off because we had to observe Covid-19 regulations. Policing under the Covid-19 pandemic has left the sector with numerous lessons and unmatched level of experience; of policing against all odds,” said Cele.
POLITICAL BUREAU