Cape Town - Seven police stations across the country have come under siege from criminals, and close to 40 police officers have been murdered this year.
The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru)’s Richard Mamabolo released the figures just after three suspects carried out a brazen robbery at Sir Lowry Pass Satellite Police Station last weekend.
The Hawks launched a manhunt for the three suspects who wore masks and gloves.
They disarmed two police officers and fled with two 9mm service pistols, three cellular phones and a laptop.
No one was injured during the incident, police spokesperson Colonel Andre Traut confirmed.
Mamabolo said: “There have been at least seven attacks on police stations since the beginning of the year, with the Eastern Cape province having the highest numbers.”
He said their offices had condemned the latest attacks and were calling for the suspects to be arrested.
“This brazen attack is part of a continued sequence of attacks targeted at law enforcement officers across different provinces, having left many officers either injured or deceased.
“They take place at a time when the criminal justice cluster is faced with many internal challenges, including under-staffing and the lack of sufficient resources in efficiently servicing communities, and therefore, further fuelling avoidable tensions between the two.”
He added that any attack on police stations was an attack on the community, as it diminishes the communities’ and law enforcement agencies’ capacity to defend and fight off criminality.
“It is always in the best interest of all parties to work together in keeping our communities as safe spaces, and in this regard, we call for improved community-policing relations as a basis for joint efforts to end crime.”
In September, Popcru said there were at least six deaths within 10 days and a total of 38 killings in eight months.
Mamabolo said he had not received the latest figures yet and that the possible motive for these acts was for the firearms of officers who were off-duty when killed.
“As for other cases across all provinces, police are being killed while on and off duty. What has been common about these killings is the fact that their service pistols are always taken, indicating the possible motive,” he said.
Meanwhile, national police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo said they could not comment on national police commissioner Khehla Sitole being served with a notice to be suspended and that it was a matter for the Presidency.
“The matter of the national commissioner, the office of the President already said that the matter is between the President and the national commissioner.”
Sitole’s pending suspension relates to failure to cooperate with the police watchdog Ipid involving the controversial grabber tender.
Earlier this month, Ramaphosa informed Sitole of his intention to suspend him with a letter sent to the commissioner in September 2021.
Also, the arbitration hearings of former Western Cape head of detectives, Major General Jeremy Vearey, continues.
Pat Roalone, the provincial manager of Popcru, Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union, said they had submitted heads of arguments to the Commissioner and would await an outcome and that they would provide closing comments.
“The time frame was given to October 25, and they submitted yesterday, and we have a response back, and we will be given a few days, and the commissioner will take our closing remarks to the employer whether they want to comment, then we will make a ruling.“
Weekend Argus