POPCRU calls for tough action against spate of burglaries 

12 July 2017

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) notes with consternation the recent spate of burglaries that have taken place within the offices of the Chief Justice, Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority respectively.

The sequence and similarities of these acts demonstrate that they are not just random occurrences, but well planned and intentional events, with the most recent ones smacking of internal footprints.

The fact that offices of prosecutors handling high-profile cases are specifically being targeted not only undermine their role in fighting crime and corruption, but also undermine the effort to reaffirm confidence in these units of national security within the eyes of the populace, and therefore rendering our state security institutions weak and vulnerable.

To this extent, it is clear that there are internal people who are involved in these foul actions, and there must be serious repercussions meted out against those who are to be found to have a hand in this.

The other concern is that the security at these buildings has been fragmented to an extent that there is no clarity as to who is heading the security within the criminal justice, and whether it is private or internal.

Security should be centralised, and as the first point of entry, it needs to be reinforced.

We are of the view that there should be internal investigations to ensure there is an immediate halt to this form of collaboration with criminals seeking to undermine our collective efforts to combat crime and corruption.

Issued by Richard Mamabolo, Media and Communications officer, POPCRU, 12 July 2017