Police can't cope with protests, IFP claims
2012-08-21 21:35
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Johannesburg - Police officers are not properly trained to deal with violent protests, the Inkatha Freedom Party said on Tuesday.
"The SA Police Service is inadequately trained to deal with many forms of violent protests and some of the members do not even qualify to carry firearms," MP Velaphi Ndlovu said in a statement.
He was reacting to the deaths of 34 workers at the Lonmin mine in Marikana when police opened fire on them on Thursday.
"What is abundantly clear is that the leaders of our government are not listening to the concerns that are consistently brought to light."
Ndlovu accused unions of holding the country to ransom, harming the economy and destroying the future of South African children.
He said it made no sense for a senior union leader to earn over R1m per year while members were struggling to get a decent salary.
In May, the Mail & Guardian online reported that National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) general secretary Frans Baleni earned over R1.4m a year.
Ndlovu said: "The lack of leadership in all spheres of our government is destroying the very fabric of our society."
He said the shooting was an example of the consequence of absent leadership.
- SAPA
