Police forum hails amendments to Act

Ipid says it has been empowered by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate Amendment Act which was signed into law last week. The law affirms the institutional and operational independence of Ipid and empowers it to investigate serious offences committed by police officers whether they are off duty or not. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, the Presidency said the Act is an outcome of a comprehensive review of the principal Ipid Act of 2011 initiated by the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service. Directorate spokesperson, Lizzy Suping, told The Citizen the Act holds SAPS members to account for their actions in ways the principal Ipid Act of 2011 did not. ‘It holds heads of various police services accountable in the event that they fail to implement the Ipid disciplinary recommendations,’ she said. According to a Cape Argus report, spokesperson to the President, Vincent Magwenya, said the new law entrenches the institutional and operational independence of Ipid 'and makes it clear that the directorate must be independent, impartial and must exercise its powers and functions without fear, favour or prejudice'. The Community Policing Forum (CPF) has has also welcomed the signing of the Act. National CPF chairperson and Western Cape provincial board chairperson, Fransina Lukas, said the Bill was welcomed. ‘The fact that a SAPS member will be open for investigation whether on or off duty is especially welcomed because the community does not differentiate between on and off duty. A police officer remains a police officer on or off duty,’ Lukas said.