The South African Police Service (SAPS) is in contempt of court for failing to file responding papers in a court case brought against them.
The court case in question was launched by the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), Equal Education (EE) and the Nyanga Community Police Forum (CPF). The case was launched to address the irrational and discriminatory allocation of the police’s human resources across all 1140 police precincts. The court application was made in terms of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000.
A court order issued by Judge Boqwana in the Equality Court (Western Cape High Court) on 5 September 2016 set out a timeline by which the main application would proceed. The court order required SAPS to file responding papers by 30 November 2016. To date they have failed to do so and remain in contempt of court.
As SAPS purposefully delays the court proceedings, discrimination on the basis of race and class persists in the police’s allocation of human resources. This discrimination continues to put not only the lives of those living in poor working-class neighbourhoods at risk, but also the lives of the police men and women deployed to protect them.
The following comparisons illustrate the irrationality and discrimination of the police’s current deployment patterns:
- Per 100,000 people Harare, Khayelitsha has 3 times more murders (over 4 years) but 14 times less police personnel than Cape Town Central
- Per 100,000 people Nyanga has 16 times more murders (over 4 years) but 7 times less police personnel than Camps Bay
- Per 100,000 people Delft has 14 times more murders (over 4 years) but 4 times less police personnel than Sea Point
- Per 100,000 people Mfuleni has 23 times more murders (over 4 years) but 3 times less police personnel than Rondebosch
The fact that this inequality persists is unconscionable. We demand that the South African Police Service either defends their allocation of resources by filing responding papers or concedes to the fact that their allocation of resources is irrational and discriminatory.
READ THE FACT SHEET ON INEQUITABLE RESOURCE ALLOCATION BY SAPS.
[ENDS]
For comment please contact:
Chumile Sali – 071 609 3236
Dalli Weyers – 082 460 2093