During the past four years, 111 members of the police's elite VIP Protection Unit - responsible for protecting the president, among others - have been charged with crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape, armed robbery and the abuse of power.
The revelation comes in the wake of an undertaking by the Independent Complaints Directorate to begin a full-scale investigation into the VIP unit, which, during the past few years, has gained notoriety as road bullies.
According to the office of Safety and Security Minister Nathi Mthethwa, between 2005 and 2008:
- Six officers faced charges of murder or attempted murder;
- 10 officers faced charges of assault, or assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm;
- One officer faced a rape charge;
- 26 faced driving-related charges, most involving reckless or negligent driving. Eight of those were for driving under the influence of alcohol;
- Two officers faced charges of damage to property;
- Three faced charges of pointing a firearm, or handling a firearm under the influence of alcohol; and
- One officer faced a charge of armed robbery.
During the same period, six officers were charged with abuse of power, two for dereliction of duty and 56 for misconduct.
But according to Mthethwa, during the past five years only two members of the unit were dismissed. Five were suspended.
"The disciplinary regulations of the SAPS prescribe both remedial and punitive measures which are used as reactive responses to incidents of misconduct," he said.
"In addition, members are subjected to proactive measures, including in-service courses such as disciplinary management, customer service and labour relations.
"Personnel are also debriefed in sessions with commanders where performance is reviewed and incidents and deviations discussed, with the objective of preventing misconduct and improving operational functioning," the minister said.
The VIP unit is broken into two components - the VIP Protection Services, which has 935 members, and the Static and Mobile Security Services, with 2 371 members.
DA MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard believes that VIP officers are getting away with their criminal actions without any proper disciplinary measures being taken against them.
"The data released by the minister of safety and security illustrates how a rudderless police service has lost all ability to hold police units to account, and underscores the importance of Monday's decision by the Independent Complaints Directorate to conduct a full investigation into the unit.
"Officers committing serious criminal offences must be removed from the SAPS without delay, and the DA reiterates its call for the introduction of a new code of conduct for the VIP unit, to assist in holding its officers to rigorous standards," said Kohler-Barnard.
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