Police in the Western Cape have suspended payment for escort /guard duties in an effort to clarify what it says are ambiguities identified surrounding this service.
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This comes after it was brought to light that police in Nyanga and Samora Machel were charging people for escort and protection services.
The concerns stem from a notice that has been widely circulated on social media informing residents that escort services by the police within the Samora Machel precinct would now cost R75 despite that other police stations conduct such services free of charge.
Regarding the note, Samora Machel community policing forum (CPF) chairperson Bongani Maqungwana told IOL that reports they had received were that the person who had compiled the notice had done so without the knowledge or instruction of the management of the police station.
According to Maqungwana, an investigation had been launched into the matter as he said that the CPF were against such services which should not come at a cost.
He added that the service was mostly requested by delivery trucks owing to the high rate of hijacking in the area.
“It is a precautionary mechanism so that they can render their services safely, which happens almost on a daily basis,” Maqungwana said.
“Ambulances do the same when called in the area and the service is free.”
Between October and December 2022, the number of cases increased by 33.8% from 77 over this period in 2021 and 104 reported last year.
Carjackings more than doubled over this period from 16 to 34 cases.
Spokesperson for the police in the province Novela Potelwa said that while payment for extra-departmental duties was a police head office directive to provinces, the provincial management had noted how certain aspects of the directive were applied inconsistently by police stations due to different interpretations of the policy.
“A management decision was henceforth taken to suspend payment for escort/guard duties as specified in the SAPS extra-departmental duties directive in the Western Cape while a process is undertaken to clear ambiguities identified,” she said.
She emphasized that “private citizens” and companies who required police escort services in the province must realise that priority would always be given to the core business of the police.
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