Cape Town – Western Cape Police commissioner Tembisile Patekile has clarified the province’s widely criticised English-only policy.
Patekile said that the internal policy was not designed to discriminate against complainants.
“This is for working language within the police, which excludes people that are coming to the police station.
“They use the language of their own choice to lay those complaints, but statements that are submitted by the members of the SAPS must be in English.
“This policy provides that the working language for the police in all official documents shall be English,” he said.
The policy on A1 statements has been widely criticised by the DA and FF Plus, which said they would lodge complaints with the South African Human Rights Commission.
DA spokesperson on the police, Okkie Terblanche, also asked Police Minister Bheki Cele on his stance on the province’s directive.
Cele said that “All Provincial Commissioners will be instructed by the national commissioner to withdraw any provincial language instruction, which is in conflict with national policy.”
Terblanche welcomed Cele’s stance.
“This is not the first time an instruction of this nature has been issued.
“This has happened before in Limpopo as well as in the Northern Cape.
“However, after the response from the Minister, the DA welcomes the removal of these discriminatory language policies from these provinces as well,” said Terblanche.
Cape Times