We all want to live in a safe and crime free South Africa
and the people we look towards to ensure this our first line of defence is the
SAPS and Metro Police. But what are we to think when our law enforcement is as
reliable as a condom with ventilation holes? Generally police do their job and
there are the few cases of bad apples. The issue I have is not with major crime
and incidents that is front page worthy. What I can’t stand is the bacon
brigade that is out on our roads looking to make a quick buck and when they
can’t do that choose to harass us just because that badge on their chest
magically puts them through law school and turns them into prosecutor and judge
all in a matter of minutes.
I was recently stopped twice in one day on the road, not by
JMPD but by the SAPS, and I had come to find that JMPD were the division more
involved in traffic violations, so seeing SAPS taking part in impromptu
road-blocks was a bit odd for me, but I guess seeing a large pork chop wearing
a blue uniform on the side of the road would be odd for anyone. And of course
being stopped on this particular day was an additional problem for me because I
was driving without my driver’s license. The police officer that stopped me in
the Wynberg area was not interested in giving me a ticket for my violation but
was rather more interested in receiving money for “a cold drink”. I informed
the human lunch-box that I didn’t have any money on me but he was very persistent.
Eventually my brother, who was with me at the time, gave him R8,05. EIGHT RAND
AND FIVE CENTS!!! And to my surprise this gentleman was as happy as a pig in
mud. This went far better than the officer that stopped me later that day. I refused
to give him a cent and he punished me not by giving me a ticket but by making
me stand by my vehicle for about half an hour while he stopped and nagged other
motorists. I for one applaud visible policing but this unfortunately has become
more about how visible their girth has made them and less about how they are
upholding the law. Surely in our democratic society we can’t stand by and watch
crime prevention tactics be replaced by bullying tactics and they are beginning
to make their presence more despicable than a fart in a packed elevator.
As strange as it may seem I wonder if I should maybe
sympathise with these officers. Are they so badly paid that they have to resort
to doing what I can only describe as a glorified version of what many homeless
people do at traffic intersections across the country? Or are they just greedy
and lazy? The majority of their waist-lines points towards the latter
unfortunately. I really want to feel for our police officers but recurring
stories of their misconduct as seen in cases such as ‘Amaberete’ along with
numerous other incidents of excessive force and recent reports of police
fire-arms going missing without any
consequence, do they deserve even an ounce of sympathy?
I would love to end this by giving our law enforcement
agencies a bit of advice but I’ve come to find that this is often received with
an officer exclaiming “are you telling me how to do my job” and followed by him
reaching for his hand-cuffs. I know this sounds crazy but yes it also seems our
not so elite crime fighters are able to arrest you for attempting to make a
suggestion. We are a wicked society aren’t we, making suggestions and knowing
our rights? How dare we?
