The South African Policing Union (SAPU) is seeking an urgent audience with the Minister of Correctional Services Mr. Ronald Lamola and the National Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Arthur Frazer over the controversial decision of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to ditch 2064 trainees.
We are extremely disappointed that the DCS would act in this irresponsible manner when there are severe human resource challenges in the department. These 2064 trainees have already been within the DCS as they have been
trained at the Zonderwater Training College in Cullinan, Gauteng.
We find it grossly irresponsible of the DCS to train such a large number of people,
make promises to them about absorption and all of a sudden dump them with the
lame excuse that their learnership programme has expired. The so-called expiry date of a contract is neither here nor there. Correctional officers have been attacked and in some instances even killed due to the shortages of officers in our correctional centres. SAPU is of the firm view that this is the time for the DCS to take advantage of the 2064 trainees to mitigate against the staff shortages that the department faces.
The absorption of these trainees will go a long way in addressing the serious challenge of the shortage of correctional officers the department is currently faced with. Already correctional officers who go on retirement, others resigning because of seeking greener pastures, others unfortunately losing their lives for
various reasons have never been replaced for some time now. SAPU is also concerned about the short-cut approach of the DCS to employ SANDF youth reserves who have not been professionally trained to rehabilitate offenders. We do not have any issue with the SANDF youth reservists as such, however, we are of the view that they have been thrown into the lion's den with no expertise or experience to deal with inmates.
We have written a letter to the Minister and the Commissioner seeking clarification on the issue. We are not alarmists nor trying to cause unnecessary panic in our country, however SAPU would like to warn the authorities not to let these trainees roam around the streets doing nothing. We want to engage the authorities with the sole intention of finding an amicable resolution of the matter.
We are also calling upon the Department of Public Service and Administration to source funding from the National Treasury in order to correct the imbalances in the entire public service. The severe human resource shortages in the DCS and other public sectors like the police compromise service delivery. As a country we
are far behind in terms of the United Nations international ratio. These severe shortages have a negative impact on the morale of the current workforce. Any overloaded staff lacks motivation.