Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has heaped praises on new Minister of
Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald, saying he is better than the ANC’s previous
ministers, who failed to improve the lives of their members.
In a candid interview with Sunday World, Popcru president Thulani Ngwenya outlined the grievances that have culminated in the union singing the praises of Groenewald.
He said what had broken the camel’s back was what he calls the historical
neglect of their members in the department of correctional services.
Own alliance partners have failed us
He said Popcru, which is in alliance with the ANC as an affiliate of Cosatu, has found an unexpected ally in Groenewald, a leader of the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) who comes from a political background that starkly contrasts that of the ANC as the party of liberation.
“Ministers within the tripartite alliance have let us down for more than a decade.
“But now we have a new minister in the department of correctional services, who comes from the extreme right ideologically, but has shown that he is willing to listen, should we ignore him because of his political party? No,” said Ngwenya.
The trade union, which represents police, corrections, and traffic officials and has a
membership base of over 150 000, attributed the tensions with the previous ministers to the severe manpower shortages and deteriorating infrastructure in correctional facilities.
Ngwenya also highlighted the chaos surrounding the promotion policy and the inadequacies of the current shift system.
Dire situation
He said the situation has become so dire that, despite promises to double the staff at correctional facilities, there are now fewer correctional officers than were there in 2009.
“The shortage of manpower in correctional services facilities and the dilapidated prison infrastructure have led to low morale within our members.
“The policy on promotion is also chaotic, and this includes the shift system,” he said.
“Minister Groenewald has acknowledged the severity of the lack of resources and the impacts of the government’s broken promise of 40 000 new members.
“He has pledged to implement the proposed shift system, and we will support him.
“If that means adopting a so-called ‘sell-out’ position, let it be so.
“Our members are our priority. Popcru intends to be worker-correct rather than politically correct,” Ngwenya lashed out.
Despite these developments, Ngwenya clarified that the union has not made any decisions regarding withdrawing membership from Cosatu.
“We have not decided to leave Cosatu or withhold our member subscription,” Ngwenya confirmed. Ngwenya’s utterances are likely to ruffle the feathers of the ANC.
