PSC to investigate police under-resourcing

Statement by Hon Mireille Wenger, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Community Safety:

I welcome a decision by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to conduct an investigation into South African Police Service (SAPS) personnel practices and shortages in our province.

The Western Cape Provincial Parliament’s Standing Committee on Community Safety held a series of public hearings into SAPS resourcing last year and, as part of that process, a report with findings was compiled which was tabled in the Provincial Parliament. (The report can be found here: http://www.wcpp.gov.za/sites/default/files/Atc 22017%2027%20Jan.%202017%20Report%20Com.Safe_.police%20resources_eng.pdf)

The standing committee, resolved to request the Public Service Commission (PSC) to investigate police under-resourcing in the Western Cape. The Public Service Commission is an independent constitutional entity empowered to investigate, monitor and evaluate the public service and personnel practices. As chairperson of the Standing Committee on Community Safety, I wrote to the PSC on 28 August 2017 requesting this investigation.

I am pleased to announce that the PSC has agreed to investigate the SAPS personnel practices and shortages, in line with its constitutional mandate. The PSC will now be requesting information from Police Minister Fikile Mbalula on police resourcing in the Western Cape.

We trust that an investigation by the PSC into SAPS under-resourcing in the Western Cape will assist our province to receive greater resources in order to fight crime and create safer communities.