SA cop jobs 'worst in world'

2007-03-14 20:12

Cape Town - South Africa has become one of the most dangerous countries in the world in which to be a police officer, said the Inkatha Freedom Party on Wednesday.

Party spokesperson Velaphi Ndlovu said the emotional damage the job caused was shown in the increased number of police-officer suicides in the second half of last year.

According to Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula - in a written reply to a parliamentary question by Ndlovu - 506 police officers committed suicide between 2000 and 2005.

Suicides accounted for the deaths of 23 officers in the first six months of 2006, but this figure doubled to 46 in the last six months of the year.

"Serious questions must be asked on why this figure increased so sharply," Ndlovu said.

"To make matters worse, police psychologists are leaving the organisation in dangerously high numbers, although the minister revealed in his written reply that only 19 left in 2006, which is questionable."

SAPS in a dismal state

The IFP was shocked that of the 46 police officers killed in the line of duty between July 1 and December 31 2006, 47.87% were murdered and 45.62% killed in vehicle accidents.

"It is clear that the South African Police Service finds itself in a dismal state of affairs and without clear commitment from the government to improve the conditions in which police officers go about doing their duties every day; things can only get worse," said Ndlovu.

- SAPA