Agb Voorsitter, die belangrikste taak vir 'n lid van die polisie is om te weet wanneer hy of sy 'n arrestasie kan uitvoer. Ek s dit is uiters belangrik, want as jy iemand arresteer, beperk jy die regte en voorregte van sodanige persoon. Daarom is dit uiters belangrik dat 'n polisielid altyd moet weet oor watter magte en bevoegdhede hy of sy by 'n arrestasie beskik.
Ek het vir die agb Minister 'n vraag in die Parlement gevra, en volgens sy antwoord was daar vir die afgelope vier jaar R137,2 miljoen deur howe toegestaan aan eisers vir onregmatige arrestasies. Agb Minister, dit is 'n absolute bewys van swak opleiding of swak dissipline, want dit lyk vir my asof lede van die polisie nie weet watter magte hulle het of wanneer hulle dit moet aanwend om iemand te arresteer nie.
Die Minister het by geleentheid saamgestem dat daar 'n dissiplinre probleem in die polisie is. Daar is baie lede wat goed gedissiplineerd is, maar die VF Plus kan nie 'n begroting ondersteun as R137,2 miljoen uitbetaal moet word vir onregmatige arrestasies nie. Dit is onaanvaarbaar. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, the most important task for a member of the police is to know when he or she may carry out an arrest. I say this is extremely important, because when you carry out an arrest, you are restricting the rights and privileges of that person. That is why it is extremely important for a member of the police to know at all times what his powers and competence are during an arrest.
I put a question to the Minister in Parliament, and according to his answer the courts awarded R137,2 million to claimants for wrongful arrests. Hon Minister, this is absolute proof of poor training and poor discipline, because it seems to me that the members of the police are not aware what powers they have or when they should enforce them so as to arrest someone. On occasion the Minister has agreed that there is a disciplinary problem in the police. There are many members who are well disciplined, but the FF Plus cannot support a budget when R137,2 million has to be paid out for wrongful arrests. That is unacceptable. I thank you.]