‘More boots on the ground’: Popcru calls for police head office trimming

Thulani Ngwenya, the president of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), is advocating for the police head office to be reduced in size and to shift policy implementation down to police stations. Speaking at the union's central executive committee meeting in Boksburg, Ngwenya argued that the current structure of the police head office is too large and that fewer people should be employed there.

He emphasized that more officers should be out in the streets, actively fighting crime rather than remaining in administrative roles. Ngwenya stated that the police should experience the streets firsthand and that the head office should be trimmed down to a minimal number of individuals.

Popcru, a Cosatu affiliate and the oldest police union, criticized the duplication of activities within the South African Police Service (SAPS), which has led to tensions and infighting among members. Ngwenya called for eliminating unnecessary duplication and ensuring that policing investigative units perform distinct tasks. He emphasized the importance of involving the youth and women in challenging the status quo, drawing parallels to the 1976 youth and women who fought against apartheid policies.

Ngwenya condemned the killing of police officers and urged the youth to reject the glorification of criminals, who are often given fancy nicknames and treated as heroes for their crimes. He questioned the role of the ANC Youth League and Young Communist League in challenging the status quo, as the 1976 generation did. Ngwenya also called on the Southern African Development Community to involve workers in decision-making processes, rather than making decisions without their input.

He urged the government to reconsider the Zambian-style two-pot system and austerity measures, as they are detrimental to workers' interests.