Members of the South African Communist Party (SACP) picketed outside different police stations in the Western Cape on Friday, calling for an independent investigation into policing as well as the appointment of a permanent provincial police commissioner.
They are demanding that all police officers be independently vetted, for the immediate appointment of the Provincial Commissioner, and for a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into policing in the Western Cape.
Protesters also renewed calls for the reinstatement of Major-General Jeremy Vearey.
The group handed memorandums to Major General Jantjie and Advocate Leslie Morris on behalf of Western Cape acting police commissioner Thembisile Patekile and Mayor Dan Plato respectively.
“Only an ethical and professional police service will be able to rid our communities of criminality,” the SACP memorandum read.”
Benson Ngqentsu, SACP Western Cape secretary, told GroundUp that to: “get to the bottom of the rot within the police” was urgent.
“Police have become ineffective and people are losing confidence in them. Day in and day out, there are reports of how the police are involved in crime and corruption. Just last week, a police officer was caught stealing bricks from a construction site in Khayelitsha. That’s not the kind of police we want,” he added.