During the meeting, the following issues were raised and discussed by the Committee:
•    Political leadership in the law enforcement both at national and local government levels;
•    The inequitable allocation of resources in law enforcement to different communities and the effects of crime on socio-economic rights and equality;
•    The need for efficient community policing and the rise of vigilantism;
•    The persistence of allegations of torture and ill-treatment at various facilities and human trafficking;
•    The use of excessive force that has led to significant numbers of civil claims being instituted against law enforcement officials, to the detriment of taxpayers;
•    The lack of a human rights-focused training for law enforcement officials;
•    The privatisation of law enforcement functions; and
•    Serious concerns were expressed about the state of the South African criminal justice system.
The Committee advised the SAHRC to address the issues raised through engagement with the political leadership of various law enforcement agencies. These would include specifically the Minister of Police, National Commissioner of the Police, Deputy Minister of Correctional Services and the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster. Similarly, the SAHRC will be hosting a dialogue on policing and human rights in May 2018.
– Ends –

Issued by the South African Human Rights Commission
Gail Smith – Spokesperson Tel: 060 988 3792 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Gushwell Brooks – Communications Co-ordinator Tel: 082 645 8573 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.