A dishonest police leadership has no concrete strategy for dealing with crime and corruption within its own ranks
SAPS
Posted inNews/Politics
Police brutality: Citizens are just as much to blame
Even though it is the officers who carry out the physical force, it is our prejudice that lays fertile ground for the abuse of power to entrench itself
Posted inEquality, Gender violence
Let’s end our dual heritage of resilience and predation
South Africa needs to address the systems that enable predators of all kinds to delay equity
Posted inGeneral
Black rage: Does anger justify the means?
“If you do not approve of our methods and tactics of protest, then you are neither with us nor are you for our cause.” This slogan sets a pre-condition for solidarity with a struggle. It requires that one accepts, in good faith, the methods used to advance a struggle. This pre-condition exposes a weaponised logic […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
Out of control: South Africa’s obsession with authority
The last month has been historically and politically significant for South Africa. The student protests have – and continue to – present a great opportunity for citizens to hold their government accountable. Although this social movement represents the potential of our politics to mature and become meaningful, this potential will be squandered if we do […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Time to say bye-bye Phiyega?
It’s going on almost three years since the South African Police Service (SAPS) shot dead 34 striking miners and wounded 78 others at Marikana. And it’s now a full month since President Jacob Zuma was handed the findings of the Farlam Commission of Inquiry into those deaths. Given that the inquiry dragged on for more […]
Posted inGeneral, News/Politics
Time to say goodbye to police’s R5 assault rifles
A bold campaign has been launched by Gun Free South Africa and amandla.mobi calling on the minister of police, Nkosinathi Nhleko, and National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega to disarm the police’s crowd-control units of their deadly R5 rifles. The R5 assault rifle is based on the Israeli Galil, which was inspired by the AK-47. It […]
Posted inGeneral, News/Politics
Protecting Zuma by force: A dishonourable Parliament
Last night ANC MPs showed South Africa how far they were willing to go when others attempted to hold them to account. In the hours of bedlam, heckling, and howling[1] the ANC managed to push South Africa’s democracy to the brink. The ANC not only voted to protect President Jacob Zuma, who according the Public […]
Posted inNews/Politics
SAPS, try not to get sued
When SAPS tabled its 2013/14 annual report, the media was quick to pick up on the massive amount for contingency liabilities; a total of R20.5 billion. This represents just under 30% of the total 2013/14 SAPS budget. Contingency liabilities are all claims pending against SAPS, and might or might not result in payment when the claim […]
Posted inGender violence, News/Politics
Please stop telling me how not to get raped
On Tuesday, the South African Police Service sent a series of tweets detailing safety tips to avoid rape. In an extraordinarily ill-considered turn of phrase, they tweeted that SAPS Northwest “are concerned about escalating contact crimes due to victims who roam the streets late at night”. Just let that sink in for a minute. “Due […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Don’t become just another statistic on September 5
Numbers never tell the whole story. They rarely reveal the nuance of cause and effect and are vulnerable to massaging by vested interests. Sometimes, however, they are as startling and eye popping as a punch to the nose. Take the astounding violence of this society. South African Police Service (SAPS) statistics show that between April […]
Posted inEquality, News/Politics
Will we ever see police officers prosecuted for torture?
The assault with intent to grievous bodily harm case against former SAPS warrant officers David Gunn and Gerrit Januarie was postponed last week until August 18 2014. They were filmed by a member of the public when they brutally assaulted a Nigerian man and stripped him naked in a Cape Town street. Apart from the […]