The colour of service improvement

[MajGenl.Meade]

The courts have just overturned a South African Police Service "affirmative action" decision, after some years of struggle. Captain Barnard was the top candidate for a promotion but was turned down - not a black person. The SAPS tried to find a qualified black person to promote but was unable to do so. The previous police commissioner scrapped the job requirement after two years in a strategy to avoid losing a court case. But they have lost anyway and are appealing (so far they have lost 8 out of 12 AA cases and the other 4 are still pending).

(Captain) Barnard, at the time of the dispute, was responsible for investigating priority and ordinary complaints against the SA Police service. In 2005 a superintendent level position was created by the police to improve service to the public in view of handling complaints. In that year Barnard and six other applicants applied for the position. An interview panel gave her 86.7 percent for the interview and recommended her unanimously.

"Captain Barnard was 17.5 percent better than the next applicant from the designated group. In view of this fact the interview panel recommended that should (Barnard) not get the position, it will adversely affect service delivery," Hermann said. However the SAPS divisional commissioner recommended that the position not be filled saying that her appointment would not promote representation.

Here's the kicker. Captain Barnard is a woman "and therefore part of the designated group in terms of the Employment Equity Act" - women were seriously under-represented in the workplace and especially the police during the apartheid years and even up to today. But no matter - the police union stepped in right away on her behalf, right? Wrong!

Police union POPCRU will join the affirmative action appeal as a friend of the court between the South African Police Service and Solidarity on behalf of Renate Barnard. The case is scheduled to be heard tomorrow at 10:00 in the Labour Court in Johannesburg.

In POPCRU's court documents, they argue that white people cannot apply for positions if affirmative action targets have not been reached. They also argue that the National Commissioner may leave positions vacant for the purpose of affirmative action.

According to POPCRU, the police set targets to reflect the national demographics within the SAPS. The position for which Renate Barnard applied, was, according to them, only intended for candidates who would have promoted representivity. They further argued that candidates who achieved the highest score during the interview, or who were recommended for promotion, cannot have a legitimate expectation to be promoted.

"POPCRU's argument places an absolute ceiling for promotion above white employees in the SAPS. They believe in the idea of absolute representivity. The purpose of promotion is therefore not to improve the police service, but to promote affirmative action

http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicswe ... &pid=71654

SAPS long-standing oppoisition to improving police service takes a new turn but......TIA.

Meade

[Lord Jim]

candidates who achieved the highest score during the interview, or who were recommended for promotion, cannot have a legitimate expectation to be promoted.

There's a word for that...

Insanity...

Especially when you're talking about a police department in a country with a crime epidemic....

[Gob]

It's the black man's burden don't you know?

[Scooter]

candidates who achieved the highest score during the interview, or who were recommended for promotion, cannot have a legitimate expectation to be promoted.

There's a word for that...

Insanity...

Especially when you're talking about a police department in a country with a crime epidemic....

If the position had been created expressely to make the police force more representative of the population, then promoting a white person to it would subvert the very reason for creating it. There's more to fighting a crime epidemic than having the requisite number of bodies. If a police force does not engender the trust of the population, it is nothing more than an occupying army that invites the population to resist its every effort to maintain order. In a country with the history of South Africa, the insanity would be to perpetuate a white-dominated police force if one ever expects the population to view it as a protector rather than a continuing oppressor.

[Gob]

You need someone upright like Nelson Mandela in charge...

A South African gold mining company owned by members of the Mandela and Zuma families is accused of exploiting its political connections to avoid punishment over its abuse of workers.

The company is also accused of profiting from selling mine assets it does not own - a claim it vehemently denies.

"I'm drowning in debts at the moment, and I don't have any food because I have no income," says Primrose Javu.

"We're living in a very, very bad condition here."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13275704

[MajGenl.Meade]

candidates who achieved the highest score during the interview, or who were recommended for promotion, cannot have a legitimate expectation to be promoted.

There's a word for that...

Insanity...

Especially when you're talking about a police department in a country with a crime epidemic....

If the position had been created expressely to make the police force more representative of the population, then promoting a white person to it would subvert the very reason for creating it. There's more to fighting a crime epidemic than having the requisite number of bodies. If a police force does not engender the trust of the population, it is nothing more than an occupying army that invites the population to resist its every effort to maintain order. In a country with the history of South Africa, the insanity would be to perpetuate a white-dominated police force if one ever expects the population to view it as a protector rather than a continuing oppressor.

That is true enough Scooter. SAPS is increasingly viewed in the townships and outside as an occupying army indeed but not because of racial factors. They are being militarized and encouraged to "shoot to kill" which they now do with fair regularity; unfortunately tending to not target criminals. Bheki Cele (formerly known as Commissioner and now "General") has a favourite mantra: "isolated incident".

Statistics show that the ranks Captain and above have more white than black personnel. At the Inspector level however, blacks outnumber whites by about 50% - still under representing the ratio in wider society. It's worth noting that at most ranks, whites are outnumbered by black/Asian/coloured categories although still disproportionately in view of overall population. Superintendant figures are 2609 males: 751 female. By race: 924 black, 2056 white, 187 Asian, 193 coloured.

However, women are even less well represented at all ranks from about one third of Captains falling to one twelfth of Assistant Commissioners. http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle ... apter3.PDF.

The law on affirmative action is clearly aimed at previously disadvantaged groups inlcuding women and the handicappted. We even have a Minister for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities. While women are well represented in governance, many sectors resist change - among them SAPS. It accepts women at low level street positions but the upward path is severely restricted. Despite all good speech, society at the fundamental levels remains heavily male dominated.

I agree that positions should be filled with qualified candidates with a view to correcting historic imbalances. In the particular case concerned, there was a perceived need for a superintendant position; there was a competition in which the only qualified candidate happened to be a white woman (note that the examining board concluded other candidates would be a detriment to service levels); women are a category to which the law says preference must be given. After dismssing the board's recommendation, SAPS tried to find a black man to fill the position but was unable to do so. So the position was eliminated.

In South Africa, unfortunately one reads between those lines that the favourite candidate of an important ANC member / SAPS office (a relative, a supporter, a political ally) was not able to get the job.

Regards
Meade