Cape Town - Elite police officers – first responders after shootings on city ganglands – are paid an extra R400 a month “danger allowance” by SAPS, while some veteran tactical unit members earn just R219 000 a year.
As a result, they’re joining other SAPS officers by the droves to work for the City which, they say, “pays way better” for the same type of work.
This is according to at least two police officers who approached the Cape Argus after it reported the SAPS was haemorrhaging skills to the City’s safety and security portfolio.
The cops, who spoke anonymously for fear of victimisation, said they joined “120” and “200” other SAPS colleagues in a test/interview for one assistant investigator vacancy at the City, conducted on the 6th floor of the podium block in the civic centre.
The day coincided with the Cape Argus story about a skills exodus of 1 303 SAPS servicemen and women since last April, based on Police Minister Bheki Cele’s parliamentary response.
Cele revealed to MPs that 413 officers had left the police for better remuneration; 361 for personal reasons; 133 due to age; 128 over poor health; 72 left to start businesses; 61 pursued other occupations and 38 resigned due to “domestic problems”.
Cape Argus has seen last week’s City recruitment invites. By his own admission, safety and security Mayco member JP Smith recently said that his portfolio was actively recruiting highly-skilled SAPS members.
Cops shared accounts that paint the SAPS stations as distressing work environments with poor working conditions, paint falling off buildings, broken doors and threadbare furniture.
A special tactical response unit (Amabherethe) cop, who tried for the City vacancy, said: “I’m a skilled cop. I work for the tactical unit. I’ve been in the SAPS for 15 years and I get R219 000 (annually).
“After deductions, I take home R11 000. For a constable, to be promoted, you need to spend 11 years to become a sergeant.”
Ironically, Cele’s office as police commissioner, in 2009, established Amabherethe.
The source labelled the R400 “danger” allowance as “lousy”. “It’s been like that since before I was at SAPS, when I was at school. SAPS doesn’t appreciate us,” he said.
Another officer, who also wrote the City’s recruitment test, said he saw more than 200 SAPS colleagues at the civic centre.
The second source said: “It is unclear how many candidates will be taken, but what was evident is that SAPS members are grabbing every opportunity to join the City.
“Some of the candidates who wrote the assessment are warrant officers in the SAPS.”
He said the position they applied for is on the same salary scale, suggesting that “it’s not just about the money”.
“With the huge case loads, some detectives with more than 100 dockets assigned to them, poor working conditions (resources and accommodation), inexperienced people appointed in command positions and overall low morale, it’s a no-brainer why members want to leave the SAPS,” he said.
“Communities will continue to suffer as these experienced members will not be there to investigate other serious crimes or mentor the junior members and new recruits joining the SAPS.”
The second source said he has received the R400 allowance since 1995. Both sources agreed that the City pays far better.
In an email, the City confirmed that SAPS members were among candidates to complete a technical assessment for a position in the safety and security directorate last Monday.
The City said it wouldn’t divulge how many officers were there, but added that it was investing in its safety and security directorate and vacancies become available from time to time.
National police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe had not responded at the time of writing.