'Thousands of cops can't drive'
2007-08-14 13:54
Cape Town - Approximately 8 303 SA Police Service (SAPS) officers still do not have drivers' licences, according to Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula.
In written reply to a parliamentary question by Dianne Kohler-Barnard of the Democratic Alliance, he said most of these were in the Eastern Cape (3 681), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (1 438), and the Northern Cape (771).
Unlicensed officers in the Free State totalled 564, Western Cape 473, Limpopo 442, North West 426, Mpumalanga 294, and Gauteng 214.
Nqakula said a valid driving licence for new SAPS recruits became a requirement in July 1997, but there was no deadline for officers to obtain one.
However, medium-term plans to help all officers obtain valid driving licences had been put in place, he said.
Commenting on Nqakula's reply, Kohler-Barnard said the fact that members did not have basic qualifications such as driving licences proved that there were low levels of basic skills at SAPS in general.
"Members who cannot legally drive are seriously compromised in their ability to perform functional duties outside the station. Should there be staff shortages or an emergency, they cannot assist their colleagues or come to the aid of the public.
"This confirms suspicions by civilians that, while police have vehicles, they have no one to drive them, which accounts for the numbers of stories of people who have claimed to have been told by the police that no one will come because there are no vehicles," she said.
The emphasis in the SAPS was on numbers, rather than on quality personnel and high levels of skills.
Excellent service delivery would not be achieved by dressing 190 000 people in blue uniforms.
It would be achieved by having high calibre, highly trained and experienced men and women who were strictly supervised and subject to non-negotiable performance standards, Kohler-Barnard said.
- SAPA