The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union’s (Popcru) 10th provincial congress for KwaZulu-Natal convened on Monday and Tuesday last week to discuss the critical challenges faced by its members throughout the criminal justice cluster (CJC) within the province.
The congress elected into office Thokozani Mlambo as provincial chairperson, Busisiwe Nkosi as deputy chairperson, Nthabeleng Molefe as secretary, Nhlanhla Mthabela as deputy secretary and Zamokuhle Mkhize as treasurer.
Addressing the congress, Popcru president Thulani Ngwenya said serious responsibilities lay ahead of these leaders.
“The bulk of the challenges they will have to deal with over the coming year, such as lack of equipment, staff shortages and rapidly deteriorating buildings, are felt across CJC departments nationwide. However, the issue of irregular and abnormally harsh disciplinary action, slow arbitration, and poor dismissal protocols are particularly rife in KwaZulu-Natal.
“For example, disciplinary action is being used as a punitive measure rather than a corrective measure, with members of management targeting dismissals. This approach is not in line with the Code of Good Practice outlined within the Labour Relations Act and the course of justice, as both parties are not being given equal opportunity to share their side of the story,” he said.
The statement in congress raised concerns about the number of employed arbitration personnel dealing with these cases. The province currently employs seven arbitrators, of whom only five are classified as being active.
Popcru reports that the province is currently dealing with around 300 arbitration cases, some of which are new, but many of which have partly been heard and are now pending. The number of pending cases is considerably higher than the 255 cases seen in 2022 – a trend the union believes will only continue without urgent attention and intervention.
The Mercury