Babalo Ndenze8 November 2024 | 11:53

POPCRU call for police reforms, says Criminal Procedure Act outdated

The union said that South Africa’s justice system was on the brink of transformation with proposed reforms targeting bail policies and pre-trial procedures to reduce overcrowding in our prisons.

POPCRU call for police reforms, says Criminal Procedure Act outdated

Picture: X/SAPS

CAPE TOWN - The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) has called for more police reforms, saying that the Criminal Procedure Act is outdated.

The union said that South Africa’s justice system was on the brink of transformation with proposed reforms targeting bail policies and pre-trial procedures to reduce overcrowding in our prisons.

These were some of the decisions coming out of POPCRU's Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting, which took place in Boksburg this week.

READ: Criminal Procedure Act outdated and out of touch with today's crime in SA - Batohi

As part of its reform proposals, POPCRU said that police searches must be closely regulated to limit their scope when it comes to search and seizures.

POPCRU president Thulani Ngwenya said, for example, that police can’t just act on something not clearly stipulated in the warrant, even if there’s suspicion.

POPCRU said these were some of the policy gaps that ultimately led to prison overcrowding.

"For example, if you go and look for dagga and you see a firearm, if it’s not written on the search and seizure you can’t take that firearm because it does not say [that]. So, we say those things must be addressed."

Ngwenya said that Justice Minister Thembi Simelane made submissions at the meeting and agreed with the union on the need for reforms.

"We as POPCRU and the minister see eye-to-eye that the Criminal Procedure Act was outdated. There are a lot of loopholes when we talk about search and seizure warrants."

POPCRU also said that flaws in bail policies often mean that economically disadvantaged individuals who have committed minor offences were unfairly penalised and detained for extensive periods.