By Akani Nkuna
Acting national police commissioner Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane has called on police to revive stalled investigations and intensify efforts to combat gender-based violence and femicide and alcohol-related violence.
Dimpane was speaking during a National Prayer Day for the police at the St Albans Cathedral Church in Pretoria on Wednesday. Dozens of SAPS members, including some of the country’s top cops, gathered for the annual prayer service.
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“For the SAPS, these are not matters that can remain at the level of policy discussion or institutional intention. They must be translated into operational action, accountability and measurable results,” she said.
“We must recover stalled investigations, close investigative gaps, accelerate the processing of evidence, strengthen case management and improve collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority and other partners.
“Where there are weaknesses, we must confront them; where there are delays, we must remove them; and where there are opportunities to prevent violence, we must act before another life is lost.”
This comes as the nation reels from two separate mass-shooting incidents over the weekend that claimed 27 lives and left others injured. Meanwhile, the number of women murdered and dumped in various areas across Ekurhuleni has risen to 11.
Dimpane urged the police to heed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call – made in his address to the nation on Tuesday – to implement operational plans with strict timelines including a national recovery operation for unresolved GBVF cases across the country.
Dimpane also said that police safety should be treated as an organisational and leadership responsibility. Every officer must be properly equipped and supported, while being expected to make safe and professional decisions in the line of duty.
She reiterated that police officers regularly faced violence, trauma, loss and human suffering, with some becoming victims themselves. The police service must support affected members and they should seek assistance, Dimpane said.
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“We must therefore continue to build a service defined by professionalism, discipline, operational readiness, integrity and compassion. The authority of the state is entrusted to us for one fundamental purpose, to protect people and uphold the law. That authority must always be exercised responsibly, lawfully and with respect for human dignity,” Dimpane said.
“May this National Prayer Day strengthen the South African Police Service. May Police Safety Month renew our commitment to protecting those who protect society. May our members be safe in the execution of their duties and may their physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual wellbeing be strengthened,” Dimpane added.
