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Police Minister Bheki Cele.
- The Ministry of Police is pleased that the SAPS amendment bill is ready for public comment.
- The bill includes a ban on live ammunition in crowd control and a ban on deadly force when protecting property.
- It also strengthens background checks and integrity testing of police officers, and new recruits may need to provide a DNA sample.
Police Minister Bheki Cele welcomed Cabinet approval of the release of the South African Police Service Amendment Bill (SAPS) for public comment.
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In a statement, Cele said the amendments were “long overdue” as the current SAPS Law predates the Constitution.
Some of the amendments include:
- Examine and conduct integrity tests on police employees under the SAPS Act, through lifestyle and conflict of interest audits.
- Police recruits are expected to submit a mouth swab (cheek swab) for DNA testing.
- It will authorize the minister of police to regulate the roles, functions, duties and obligations, requirements for the appointment and disciplinary matters of the deputy national and divisional commissioners.
- It seeks to improve community policing and oversight of community policing forums on the police.
- There is a need to improve coordination between the police service and the municipal police services in terms of the concept of a single police service.
- It will improve the framework for the establishment, powers, functions and control of municipal police services.
- It will address operational concerns about non-notification of scheduled meetings under the Meetings Regulations Act.
- It will give effect to the recommendations of the Farlam Commission, including the guarantee that automatic rifles cannot be used for crowd control and that deadly force cannot be used to protect property.
- However, if life and property are simultaneously in danger, the use of deadly force will be justified.
“These amendments create accountability and discipline within the police service and I believe they will go a long way toward ensuring that SAPS better serves the people of this country, while at the same time increasing trust between communities and communities. men women in blue, “Cele said.
It will be published in the Official Government Gazette and public comment is encouraged.
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