The Police and Prison’s Civil Rights Union(POPCRU) has called on the government to nationalise provincial traffic police which they say will help reduce road deaths.
CREATING A NATIONAL TRAFFIC POLICE
The Union alleges that severe organisational challenges, hinder traffic police from having coordinated efforts to police the roads and limit their efficiency.
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POPCRU has also highlighted that traffic police departments cross the nine provinces are all placed under different provincial departments.
“Traffic police in Mpumalanga are split between the Department of Public Works and the Department of Transport. Northern Cape traffic officers are located under the Department of Safety and Liaison, Gauteng traffic officers under Community Safety, and Western Cape traffic police under the new Department of Monitoring,” Popcru President Thulani Ngwenya.
Along with nationalisation, the union has called for uniformity in terms of ranks, insignia and uniform.
NO CAREER ADVANCEMENT
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According to IOL, Ngwenya has also revealed that unlike most careers or government employees, traffic police have no job progression and their salary is capped.
“Alarmingly, traffic officials also have no hopes of promotion and upward mobility. As they are employed under the Public Service Act, provinces rely on PSCBC Resolution 3 of 2009, and their pay levels and progression are capped.”
Ngwenya says the employment of traffic police should be as the police and prison officials which takes in consideration years of service, qualifications and performance in determining promotion policy.
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