The South African Police Union is the majority union in the South African Police Service with in excess of 66 000 members of SAPS. SAPU also recently opened our membership to the Department of Correctional Services.

• To function as a democratic union for employees of the SA Police Service and employees of policing and all other recognised legal law enforcement agencies without limitation as far as race, creed, religion or gender are concerned and to represent and improve the employment, professional, economic, social and cultural interests of such employees.

• The Union shall be a non-profit organisation and all income to the Union shall be used to advance and protect the socio-economic and labour interests and rights of the members of the Union.

• The sole purpose of the Union's activities shall be focussed on achieving the main objectives of the Union.

• No profits may be distributed to any person and funds shall only be employed in investment or achieving the aims and objectives of the Union.

• Funds available for investment shall only be invested with a registered financial institution as described in Section 1 of the Financial Institutions Act of 1984 and in shares listed on a licensed stock exchange as described in the Stock Exchange Control Act of 1985.

• The Union may not participate in any ordinary trading activities, speculative transactions and the purchase of fixed property with the intent to generate rental income.

• To ensure empowerment of women, previously disadvantaged groups and workers in general through training and by transforming our internal and external environments.

• To position SAPU as an a-political organization, not aligned to any political party. Always being objective, lobbying support for the cause identified and initiated.

• As a democratic organization be empowered by mandates from the elected structure, and in so doing, truly reflecting the identified needs of members at grass roots level. Always maintaining a transparent and inclusive approach in decision –making and the execution thereof.

• To render a professional service that is in line with members’ expectations and fulfils the identified needs as employees and as human beings also taking their social needs into consideration. To ensure that our members render a professional service to the country as a whole, whilst protecting local and broader communities through effectively preventing and combating crime. As organisation promoting and maintaining a high level of discipline amongst members and taking the necessary action in the absence thereof.

• Democratically elected leadership will always lead and direct within the constitutional and policy framework set down by the union.

• Through innovative leadership, effective and committed mandates will be sought from grassroots level and report back will take place within agreed timeframes.

• To remain open and transparent in their thinking, to act as mandated by their constituency, provide feedback and always act in the interest of the organization and its members.

• SAPU will respect and adhere to the rights as prescribed in the SA Constitution in the Bill of Rights, and will always keep those rights in mind during SAPU actions, policymaking and service delivery to its members.

1. STRATEGIC FOCUS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE 2003 TO 2006/7

1. Organisational crime
2. Serious and violent crimes
3. Crime against and children
4. Improving Service delivery

"achieve further and visible advances with regard to the improvement of the quality of life of all our people, affecting many critical areas of social existence including Safety and Security"

"We will engage all the Sector Education and Training Authorities, the SETA’s, to increase the intake of learners and improve the focus on the skills that are in short supply: ..

" We will ensure that by 2006 there would be 152000 officers on active duty in the South African Police Services".

"In the next three months we will set up Special Joint Teams to target and focus on serious crime combating of apprehending the top 200 criminals in the country.".

"Combined with these security activities will be enhanced integration between the Security and justice clusters to deal with the social rates of money of the crimes communities experience, starting off in the codes identified for rural and urban renewal".

With this strategic focus as background SAPU pronounces itself as follows:

3. SPECIAL DISPENSATION FOR SAPS EMPLOYEES

3.3.1 INCENTIVES AND REWARDS

± 100 Million is budgeted for incentives and rewards to motivate Police officials to continuously deliver an excellent service to the Public. This is an applaudable incentive but it caters only for 20 % of the SAPS workforce. This 20% needs to be increased to 65% of the workforce.

The South African Police Service is unique in the Public Service due to the duties and functions performed by members belonging to the Service. It has therefore always been our view that government should grant a "special dispensation" for our members.

Prior to 1994 the Police educational requirement was Standard 8 (Grade 10). The salary entrance level was lower for the Police Department than other Departments. During 1997 the educational requirements was lifted to Grade 12, but the entrance salary level was not renewed. With the result that the police entry level is still lower than the other public servants. Therefore SAPU request that there should be a special dispensation for SAPS member to put them in line with their counterpart, this could be a once off amount.

 

4. VEHICLES

Currently ±3000 vehicles are utilized in SAPS, however it’s still not sufficient. As a Union we observe at ground level that the ratio between the workforce and total vehicles is 1:8 (one vehicle for 8 Police officials) if one bears in mind that ±24 000 Police officials exercising visible policing and detective duties simultaneous during normal working hours.

±700 million is budgeted which estimates 7000 new vehicles however the replacement ratio of vehicles seems to be high. We request a more strict control of state vehicles. SAPU is further of the view that the subsidized vehicle scheme for Superintendents be introduced currently within this allocated budget.

 

5. PERSONNEL/EMPLOYMENT

 

1. SALARIES

4. ALLOWANCES

1. CONCLUSION

The SAPS budget shows an increase of 10.6% on personnel needs and a 14.6% in organisational needs.

1. SAPU recommends that cognisance be taken of the positions/concerns raised herein and that they either be addressed in this financial year or the next budget process.