SAPS members acting unlawful should be held accountable: Union

The South African Police Union (SAPU) has called for police members who act unlawfully to be held accountable, following the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into criminality and the criminal justice system. The inquiry revealed that 149 individuals were killed in 77 incidents involving police task teams in KwaZulu-Natal over a period of three years.

The deaths were attributed to cash-in-transit heists, taxi violence, and drug unit operations in the province. According to Len John, Deputy Director for Investigations at the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), these shootings can be classified as extra-judicial killings. Furthermore, John alleged that officers sometimes delay calling the IPID to incidents to manipulate the investigations.

SAPU's national spokesperson, Jabulani Mabena, stated, "We as SAPU- are saying if there’s members that really do things out of the law that they have to act upon, there should be accountability that should be taken against such members." However, Mabena emphasized that the union is cautious about prosecuting members in the media. He added, "But we’re here to commend and object to any negative impact that is brought by the police – whereby they have to act beyond their powers [or] to abuse the power that they have."