SAPS members acting unlawful should be held accountable: Union – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.

The South African Police Union (SAPU) says members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) who act unlawfully should be held accountable.

This comes after the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into criminality and capture of the criminal justice system heard that 149 people were killed in 77 incidents involving police task teams in KwaZulu-Natal over three years.

Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Deputy Director for Investigations, Len John, told the Commission the deaths relate to Cash-in-Transit heists, taxi violence and drug unit operations in the province.

John described the shootings as extra-judicial killings and alleged officers delay calling IPID to scenes to manipulate investigations.

SAPU’s national spokesperson Jabulani Mabena says, “We as SAPU- are saying if there’s members that really do things out of the law that they have to act upon, there should be accountability that should be taken against such members.”

“At the same time, as a union, we’re treading very carefully not to prosecute members in the media. But we’re here to commend and object to any negative impact that is brought by the police – whereby they have to act beyond their powers [or] to abuse the power that they have,” explains Mabena.

Below is the full interview with SAPU’s Jabulani Mabena