Durban — The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature has called for police salaries to be reviewed.
The IFP believes that since the government has taken a decision to increase the danger allowance for police officers, it must also review their salaries, IFP KZN spokesperson for community safety and liaison Blessed Gwala said.
“Although a R700 danger allowance for police officers is not enough, the increase from R400 is warmly welcomed,” Gwala said.
“Increasing this danger allowance for police officers indicates that the government does have money to spend. While we understand the economic situation faced by our country, the IFP is concerned about the salaries paid to police officers. These officers face the mammoth - and dangerous - task of keeping citizens safe on a daily basis.”
He said there was no excuse for not increasing police officers’ salaries while the government had, on numerous occasions, spent billions of rands bailing out failed state-owned enterprises like Eskom, South African Airways and the SABC.
Gwala added that police officers must be provided with enough resources to perform their duties, including improving dilapidated police stations.
“Failure to improve salaries for police officers could result in them being tempted to participate in criminal activities. Poor salaries could also discourage those who might be considering a career as police officers. Police salaries must be attractive so that South Africans view joining the SAPS as a viable career,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Daily News reported that police unions in the province expressed concern over the police danger allowance increase of R300, demanding R1 500 monthly, especially with KZN police working twice as hard in fighting crime.
Police and Prisoners Civil Rights Union KZN secretary Nthabeleng Molefe said the increase was small, especially considering what KZN police had to deal in a province with a very high crime rate, always among the top three in the country.
KZN Public Servants Association of SA provincial manager Mlungisi Ndlovu, said the allowance increase was not the only concern KZN police had to deal with.
Ndlovu said KZN had always been at the top of the list for crime and noted that last year, a report stated that South Africa was 90 000 behind in police officers, and hence needed to deploy more.
DA KZN spokesperson for community safety Sharon Hoosen said KZN had a high rate of rape and murder and had not seen any reduction in figures for more than five years.
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