Mbalula: Cops must shape up
2010-09-13 18:10
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Police
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Johannesburg - Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula on Monday warned police to "shape up or ship out", saying their physiques were preventing them from doing their jobs properly.
"Some police officers decide to balloon in their physique immediately after leaving the training colleges.
"Those officers are no match compared to the criminals they are after.
"They must work on their weight," Mbalula said at an anti-crime summit in Pretoria.
He said police officers could not be busy "massaging beer bellies" when criminals were on the run.
Criminals were brutally killing police officers and private guards.
"The question then is... are you fit enough to fight them? If not, the police service is not for you. We need officers who can match criminals pound for pound."
Mbalula said that, although not the norm, it was worrying that the department had recently seen police wanting to become "fat cats" by robbing and stealing, and failing to honour their oath.
"We are firing a warning shot at them. South Africa is not afraid of firing corrupt police."
To civilians who bribed police officers, Mbalula said: "Your time will come too."
- SAPA
