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- Police union SAPU has issued police management with a 48-hour notice to change the shared accommodation it arranged for officers deployed to work during the holiday season.
- The union says it is unacceptable that management is forcing officers to share accommodation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- It says some officers have not been provided with safes for their service firearms.
The South African Policing Union (SAPU) is up in arms over the shared accommodation of police officers deployed to work over the festive season, saying that some of them have no safes to enable them to store their service firearms in compliance with the Firearms Control Act.
In addition, the police union is of the view that members can't be expected to share rooms during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We are issuing a 48-hour deadline for the SAPS management to rectify this health hazard. We are weighing our options, including seeking legal advice," the union said in a statement.
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It pointed out that there were budget allocations for such operations and that members should therefore not be forced to share rooms.
It said:
SAPU said the conditions demoralised members who were more than willing to work to ensure a crime-free festive season.
"SAPU wants to [make] it categorically clear that we are not calling for luxurious accommodation as we are not on holiday. What we demand is a conducive environment that guarantees the safety and health of our members."
It commended members who continued to render a service to communities despite difficult working conditions.
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