Trainees at the Philippine Police Training Academy during an inspection visit by the National Assembly's Police Committee on Friday. Photo: Sandiso Fariso
Concerns were raised over the state of the Philippine police training academy during an oversight visit by the Portfolio Committee on Police on Friday.
The annual budget was not audited, the kitchen roof leaked, the kitchen water heater broke, and the trainees lived in poor conditions.
Among other things, the trainees had no hot water and had to bathe in cold water even in winter, some of the door locks were broken, the shower and tap handles did not work, and with only three cooks for 560 people, the quality of the food was poor.
The trainees are afraid to speak, he said, and are “living a subhuman life in an institution that is supposed to be a model.”
Trainees who Ground Up spoke to on the condition of anonymity said they were afraid to raise concerns with management or external parties for fear of intimidation or retaliation.
“Some people regret coming here but now they are here. If they complain they are threatened with failing and going home. The most vulnerable are the women trainees. They are being exploited,” said one trainee.
A police commission attended by SAPS bosses said it found four out of five senior managers had been given responsibility for training despite having no policing experience. Allegations of misappropriation of funds and sexual harassment dating back to 2017 have not been resolved through investigations.
District Attorney Ian Cameron, chairman of the commission, said the agency has known for about six months that some trainees have been involved in crimes including drug use and gang activity.
Cameron said intervention in the collapse of police academies was a top priority, including on the quality of training, the treatment of women and crime rates among police trainees.
The committee also sought an explanation for how the university's R110-million budget was spent, as no audit was provided.
“Training cannot take place in such appalling conditions. I have been told that if any of the new recruits spoke to me or any of the committee members, they would be suspended. It is paramount that we observe the conditions first-hand. It is crucial that we assess whether these facilities are meeting the standards necessary to support the training of competent and ethical police officers.”
He said what was found in the Philippines was “not an isolated issue.”
“This reflects the larger crisis facing SAPS. SAPS must take responsibility for ensuring that its training institutes are run with the highest levels of integrity and professionalism,” Cameron said.
He said the committee's report and recommendations would be sent to Parliament.
Maj. Gen. Matipa, provincial director of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), said his office received an enquiry about possible corruption at the university in October last year.
Makgatho said he had taken 16 affidavits.
He said an internal auditor had been appointed to look into expenditure of R110 million per year since 2018.
“We are still waiting for the audit report, which will uncover any wrongdoing or criminal activity.”
He said the audit would also determine the future direction.
SAPS College head Lt. Gen. Bongiwe Zulu said management was working around the clock to find a solution. He suggested the funds were being funnelled into personal bank accounts.
“It is illegal to put money in your own bank account. The forensic report will reveal the funds. An investigation will determine why this happened. This is a real problem. We cannot allow this to happen in our institutions,” Zulu said.
This article was first published on GroundUp