The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and the Democratic Alliance have rebuked the South African Police Service for its inadequate health and wellness services following a tragic shooting in Limpopo, that claimed two lives of cops and left one seriously injured.

An SAPS sergeant, attached to the Provincial Crime Intelligence Unit, is accused of shooting a woman brigadier, who is the Head of Provincial Crime Registrar, before turning the gun on himself.

The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in Southern Gateway, Westenburg, where a former police officer was also shot during the altercation and was rushed to the hospital for further medical care.

Popcru, has said it is concern over the incident and has highlighted a recent report indicating that the SAPS has been understaffed since 2017, having lost more than 300 officers due to suicides and murder-suicides.

Popcru’s spokesperson Richard Mamabolo said this situation highlights the severe mental and emotional stress officers face, as reports show SAPS has one of the highest suicide rates among police forces globally.

“In this sense, their wellbeing cannot be disconnected from the broader environment in which they operate.”

Mamabolo said that despite SAPS rolling out Employee Health and Wellness (EHW) programmes, intended to boost mental well-being, evidence shows they have failed to make a difference.

“This is allegedly due to reasons that these EHW representatives, usually psychologists and priests, are not doing what is required of them or they do not understand their roles.”

He pointed to claims of confidentiality issues, lack of victim follow-ups, and stigmatised services, which hinder career progress.

“They are reactive in discharging their duties in such a way that they are only seen at the station when there is a problem. They never seem to conduct proactive visits to ensure that the members are coping with their work or personal lives.”

Mamabolo said most police officers are unaware of the EHW services.

“In this regard, it should be our collective responsibility to ensure we promote these services so members understand their impact in their personal lives and at their workplaces,” he said.

Meanwhile, DA MP Ian Cameron said Popcru’s report revealing that SAPS has lost over 300 officers to suicide and murder-suicide since 2017, raises serious concerns about the force’s ability to provide adequate mental health support.

“The SAPS’ 2022/2023 Annual Report records a total of 138 psychological professionals, 57 ‘Quality of Work Life’ professionals, 205 social workers, and 190 chaplains operating in SAPS employee wellness programmes.”

He said these people are tasked with overseeing the mental wellness of about 180,000 SAPS employees, all working in extremely high-stress and high-risk environments.

“With a 28.7% vacancy rate for psychologists and vocational counsellors within the SAPS, capacitating this division presents a significant challenge for top management that must be tackled with the utmost urgency,” Cameron said.

He said concerns about SAPS’s employee wellness programmes were flagged as early as 2022 during its ‘Organisational Climate Survey’.

“The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee at the time expressed grave concerns about the ‘poor health and wellness services’ within the SAPS.”

He stressed that the health and well-being of the police officers who risk their lives to keep citizens safe must not be neglected.

“Building effective, confidential, and specialised mental well-being programmes within the SAPS should be a priority for the ministry and lawmakers alike,” he said.

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