Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union-POPCRU

29/05/2026

*POPCRU members urged to mobilise support for the 2026 POLMED Board of Trustees Elections*

POPCRU calls on all its structures to immediately begin the work of popularising and mobilising support for our nominated candidates for the 2026 POLMED Board of Trustees elections, as approved by the National Office Bearers.

This process is not a routine election exercise. It is an important organisational and member-service responsibility. POLMED remains one of the most critical institutions affecting the daily lives, health security and welfare of police officials and their families. The Board of Trustees plays a decisive role in governance, accountability, benefit protection, financial oversight and ensuring that the scheme remains responsive to the lived realities of members.

For this reason, POPCRU cannot afford to be passive, disorganised or silent. The work of mobilisation must begin now.

All structures are therefore directed to ensure that the approved nominated candidates, *Cdes Norlein Dibetle and Barend Stephanus Jacobus Muller* are popularised across all available organisational platforms. This must include workplace visits, parade engagements where possible, members’ meetings, regional and provincial communication channels, WhatsApp groups, pages, X/Twitter platforms, posters, short videos, SMS distribution, one-on-one lobbying and direct engagement with POLMED members.

The message must be clear: POPCRU is advancing candidates who are rooted in the interests of members, who understand the conditions under which police officials serve, and who will carry the mandate of accountability, transparency, fairness and member-centred governance within POLMED.

Structures must further ensure that members understand the importance of participating in these elections. A strong vote is not only support for individual candidates; it is a collective statement that workers must have a decisive voice in institutions that affect their medical security and family wellbeing.

All provincial and local structures are urged to develop immediate mobilisation plans, identify key workplaces, assign organisers and shop stewards, and ensure that every POPCRU member who belongs to POLMED is reached, informed and encouraged to support the approved candidates.

The task before us is simple: popularise the candidates, mobilise the members, defend worker representation, and strengthen POPCRU’s voice within POLMED governance.

Work must begin now.

*Issued by POPCRU*

*Forward ever in defence of members’ health, dignity and welfare.*

28/05/2026

*POPCRU Gauteng convenes a roundtable Workshop on Su***de Awareness and Substance Abuse*

POPCRU Gauteng is currently hosting a workshop on su***de awareness and substance abuse at the Radisson Hotel in Ekurhuleni under the theme:

*“Small Steps, Big Impact, It Starts with You.”*

This workshop forms part of our continued commitment to the health, dignity, safety and overall wellbeing of our members across the criminal justice cluster. It recognises that law enforcement and correctional environments expose workers to extraordinary levels of pressure, trauma, violence, shift fatigue, family strain, financial stress and social isolation. These realities can place members at risk of emotional distress, burnout, substance dependency and other mental health challenges.

The statistics remain a serious warning. SAPS management previously informed Parliament that 33 SAPS su***des were recorded in 2019/20, 30 in 2020/21 and 39 in 2021/22, while 38 homicide–su***de incidents were recorded between 2019 and 2022. More recent public reporting by mental health professionals has warned that 54 SAPS members died by su***de in the 2024/25 reporting period, with about 300 police su***des reported over seven years.

Substance abuse must also be understood as both a social and workplace wellness concern. Earlier SAPS Employee Health and Wellness reporting identified depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, stress disorders, substance abuse and attempted su***des among recurring mental health challenges affecting SAPS members. It further recorded that substance abuse formed part of the psychiatric and wellness cases requiring intervention. South Africa also continues to face a broader alcohol and substance abuse crisis, which government has linked to violence, road fatalities and gender-based violence.

POPCRU Gauteng therefore calls on members to treat mental health and substance abuse support not as a sign of weakness, but as an act of courage, responsibility and survival. The theme “Small Steps, Big Impact, It Starts with You” reminds us that recovery and prevention often begin with one honest conversation, one request for assistance, one supportive colleague, one family intervention, or one decision to seek professional help before the situation worsens.

Members are encouraged to speak to trusted colleagues, shop stewards, POPCRU structures, Employee Health and Wellness officials, social workers, chaplains, psychologists or other qualified professionals. No member should suffer in silence.

*Where members can seek help*

For urgent emotional support, members may contact the *Su***de Crisis Helpline on 0800 567 567* . For mental health counselling and referral support, members may contact *SADAG on 011 234 4837* or the Cipla Mental Health Helpline on 0800 456 789. For substance abuse support, members may contact the Department of Social Development *Substance Abuse Helpline on 0800 12 13 14 or SMS 32312* . These helplines are listed by SADAG as national emergency and support contacts.

POPCRU Gauteng further urges commanders, managers and supervisors to create safer workplaces where members can ask for assistance without fear of ridicule, stigma or victimisation. Mental health support must be treated as a workplace right, a public safety priority and an organisational responsibility.

POPCRU Gauteng says: one life lost is one too many. Let us listen earlier, intervene sooner and support one another better. Small steps can save lives. Big impact starts with you.

15/05/2026

*POPCRU wishes SAMATU well on the occasion of its National Elective Congress*

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) conveys its revolutionary greetings and unwavering message of solidarity to the South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) on the occasion of its Elective Congress taking place from 15–17 May 2026 under the theme: “Striving for Excellence in Healthcare by Empowering Doctors.”

As POPCRU, we recognise this Congress as a significant platform that brings together progressive healthcare professionals committed to advancing the dignity of workers, defending quality public healthcare, and strengthening the role of doctors within the broader struggle for a just and equitable society.

At a time when South Africa continues to grapple with deep socio-economic inequalities, collapsing public infrastructure, staff shortages, burnout amongst frontline workers, and increasing pressure on the healthcare system, the role of organised labour within the medical fraternity becomes even more critical. The empowerment of doctors cannot be separated from the broader struggle to build a capable, people-centred, and developmental state that prioritises the wellbeing of both workers and communities.

Your chosen theme correctly identifies that excellence in healthcare is impossible without empowering those who stand at the forefront of saving lives daily. Doctors, like all workers in the public service, require decent working conditions, adequate resources, professional respect, fair remuneration, and safe working environments in order to effectively serve the people of our country.

POPCRU further acknowledges the sacrifices made by healthcare workers over the years, particularly under difficult conditions characterised by austerity measures, budgetary constraints, infrastructure decay, and growing demands on the public healthcare sector. Despite these challenges, healthcare professionals continue to demonstrate resilience, commitment, and patriotism in service of the people.

As a union representing workers within the criminal justice cluster, POPCRU understands the interconnectedness between healthcare, social justice, community safety, and human dignity. A healthy society is fundamental to social stability, development, and the advancement of democratic gains.

We therefore wish the SAMATU Elective Congress fruitful deliberations, robust engagements, and successful outcomes that will strengthen the unity, organisational capacity, and progressive mandate of the union moving forward.

May this Congress emerge with renewed leadership, renewed energy, and renewed determination to continue championing the rights of healthcare workers while advancing accessible and quality healthcare for all.

An injury to one is an injury to all.

Issued by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU)

15/05/2026

Media Statement

*POPCRU rejects the backdoor militarisation of the Department of Correctional Services*

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) unequivocally rejects the reckless and unilateral attempts by the Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald, to reintroduce rank insignia and advance the backdoor militarisation of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) without proper consultation with organised labour.

This dangerous regression represents not only an attack on the democratic transformation of correctional services, but also a direct violation of established collective bargaining agreements and labour relations prescripts governing the public service. POPCRU places it on record that at no stage was the union consulted through recognised collective bargaining structures, despite the clear obligations imposed on the employer through signed agreements and labour legislation.

POPCRU further reminds the employer and the Ministry that, in terms of Section 16 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA), organised labour is entitled to all relevant information necessary to facilitate meaningful engagement and effective collective bargaining on matters affecting employees. The unilateral pronouncements regarding the reintroduction of rank insignia within DCS therefore constitute a direct affront not only to existing collective agreements, but also to the spirit and prescripts of the Labour Relations Act itself.

Meaningful engagement cannot occur in the absence of full disclosure, proper consultation processes, and adequate opportunity for labour to engage its membership structures. POPCRU maintains that this matter must immediately be referred back to the Departmental Bargaining Chamber for proper engagement with recognised labour representatives. Any attempt to bypass collective bargaining institutions and impose decisions through administrative directives or media announcements will only deepen tensions within the Department and further undermine labour relations stability.

Labour must be afforded sufficient opportunity to consult with its members across all levels of the Department before any policy position of this magnitude is considered for implementation. Workers cannot simply be confronted with predetermined outcomes on matters that fundamentally affect workplace identity, organisational structure, career pathing, conditions of service, and the future character of correctional services in a democratic South Africa.

Furthermore, POPCRU wishes to place on record that the issue of insignia cannot be divorced from the broader structural challenges confronting the Department, particularly the current salary structure within DCS, which remains in serious disarray and requires urgent and comprehensive overhaul. It is fundamentally irrational and irresponsible for the employer to prioritise cosmetic militaristic changes while longstanding issues relating to salary disparities, post provisioning, career progression, occupational classification, grading inconsistencies, and deteriorating conditions of service remain unresolved.

If the employer seeks to engage on matters relating to rank structures and insignia, such discussions must be intrinsically linked to a broader, transparent, and properly negotiated review of the organisational and salary architecture within DCS. Workers cannot be expected to wear ranks that are not supported by a coherent, fair, and properly negotiated remuneration and progression framework.

POPCRU therefore reiterates its demand for the immediate suspension of any unilateral implementation process and calls for the matter to be formally tabled before the Departmental Bargaining Chamber, accompanied by full disclosure of all relevant information in compliance with Section 16 of the Labour Relations Act, to enable meaningful consultation and engagement with organised labour and workers themselves.

The unilateral reintroduction of rank insignia is procedurally flawed, substantively misguided, and politically dangerous.

POPCRU has painful historical experience with this failed experiment. Around 2005, similar attempts were made to militarise the Department through the introduction of rank structures, military-style command systems, and symbols intended to impose fear and rigid authoritarianism within correctional centres. Those measures did not improve rehabilitation, security, professionalism, or governance within DCS. Instead, they deepened divisions in the workplace, created confusion regarding conditions of service, promoted authoritarian management tendencies, and undermined the democratic ethos envisioned in the post-apartheid correctional system.

The democratic transition deliberately moved away from the apartheid-era prison system precisely because prisons had become militarised instruments of repression rather than centres of rehabilitation and social reintegration. The White Paper on Corrections envisioned a correctional system grounded in human rights, rehabilitation, development, and constitutionalism — not one obsessed with cosmetic military symbolism and command structures.

Correctional officials are not soldiers. The constitutional mandate of DCS is fundamentally different from that of the military. The role of correctional officials is centred on rehabilitation, safe custody, human development, offender reintegration, and the maintenance of humane correctional environments. Attempting to impose military culture within such an environment fundamentally misunderstands the correctional mandate and risks reproducing a punitive, fear-driven institutional culture incompatible with constitutional democracy.

POPCRU is deeply concerned that this move forms part of a broader ideological project aimed at centralising authority, weakening worker participation, suppressing dissent, and creating a climate of fear within the Department under the guise of discipline and uniformity. Rank insignia do not resolve the real crises facing correctional services.

The Department today faces severe overcrowding, dangerous understaffing, deteriorating infrastructure, escalating inmate populations, widespread psychological trauma among officials, rising violence, gang activity, and deepening budgetary constraints. These are the material conditions confronting workers daily. Officials continue to work under immense pressure, often without adequate personnel, resources, equipment, or psychosocial support. The Minister cannot substitute meaningful transformation with ceremonial militaristic symbolism.

Workers do not need badges and insignia to earn dignity. They need safe working conditions, adequate staffing, fair career progression, proper training, functional infrastructure, and a government willing to invest seriously in correctional services.

POPCRU further rejects any attempt to bypass collective bargaining institutions through media pronouncements and executive directives designed to impose unilateral decisions on workers. Such conduct undermines labour peace and erodes trust within the Department.

As POPCRU, we reaffirm our long-standing position that the transformation of correctional services must remain rooted in democratic accountability, worker participation, rehabilitation, and constitutional governance — not militarisation.

We therefore demand the immediate withdrawal of any plans relating to the implementation of rank insignia and call upon the Minister to subject any proposed changes affecting workers to proper consultation processes within the relevant bargaining structures.

POPCRU remains ready to defend the rights, dignity, and democratic gains of correctional officials against any attempt to reverse transformation through authoritarian and militaristic measures.

Issued by POPCRU on 15/05/2026

For more information contact Richard Mamabolo on 066 135 4349

14/05/2026

*POPCRU congratulates Cde Sylvia Mlotha for outstanding academic excellence*

POPCRU proudly congratulates Cde Sylvia Mlotha, the union’s Mpumalanga Gender Coordinator, for her exceptional academic achievement after completing the Women Development Programme with the class of 2023–2025.

Cde Mlotha has earned a place on the University of the Western Cape Dean’s List as one of the top achievers in the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences (EMS) for an Advanced Diploma in Public Management 2025, where she obtained an outstanding five distinctions out of six modules.

This remarkable achievement follows her earlier academic success in 2024, where she obtained seven distinctions out of nine modules in the Higher Certificate in Economic Development.

She has further been recognised as the overall top achiever under the Fair Share School of Governance at the University of the Western Cape, and was honoured during an awards ceremony held on 13 May 2026.

As POPCRU, we regard this achievement as more than just an individual milestone. It is a clear demonstration that education pays off, and that when workers are empowered with knowledge, they become better leaders, organisers, negotiators, administrators, and agents of social transformation.

The continued educational advancement of our members strengthens the intellectual capacity of our union and equips our leadership collective with the necessary skills to confront the complex challenges facing workers today. In an ever-changing environment characterised by economic uncertainty, austerity, technological developments, policy shifts, and attacks on collective bargaining, the education of workers becomes not a luxury, but a strategic necessity.

POPCRU has consistently maintained that the empowerment of workers must not only be limited to workplace struggles, but must also include academic development, political education, leadership training, and professional growth. It is for this reason that the union continues to invest in programmes aimed at developing conscious, capable, ethical, and disciplined leaders who can advance the interests of workers and society as a whole.

The achievements of cadres such as Cde Sylvia Mlotha affirm the correctness of POPCRU’s long-standing commitment towards education and development. These accomplishments inspire the broader membership, particularly young workers and women within our structures, to pursue education with determination and discipline.

As a union, we firmly believe that an educated membership is fundamental to building a stronger, more resilient, and future-oriented organisation. The knowledge and expertise acquired by our members through such programmes will greatly benefit POPCRU in strengthening governance, policy engagement, organisational administration, gender advocacy, and community leadership in the years ahead.

Cde Sylvia Mlotha continues to inspire many workers across the country by proving that education remains a powerful tool in building capable, conscious, and transformative leadership.

POPCRU once again congratulates her for this outstanding achievement and for continuing to make education fashionable while flying the union’s flag high.

Aluta Continua!

01/05/2026

https://youtu.be/0UsOFDV8ozw?si=29Dby2UwJNYyfcvo

Landmark ruling forces department to absorb G4S workers

30/04/2026

Media Statement

*POPCRU on the outcome of the Labour Court on section 197 against DCS on Mangaung G4S*

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) notes, welcomes, and emphatically celebrates the landmark judgement handed down by the Labour Court on 30 April 2026—just a day before the historic commemoration of May Day, International Workers’ Day. This is not a coincidence of timing; it is a powerful and symbolic reaffirmation that the struggle of workers, when organised and resolute, yields victory.

The Court has decisively ruled that the termination of the concession contract relating to the Mangaung Correctional Centre, and the subsequent assumption of control by the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), constitutes a transfer in terms of section 197 of the Labour Relations Act. This means, in clear and unambiguous terms, that all workers employed under G4S will automatically transfer to the Department of Correctional Services, with their jobs protected.

This judgement strikes at the very heart of what POPCRU has consistently warned against: the reckless commodification of correctional services and the outsourcing of a core constitutional function to private profit-driven entities. For years, we have raised the alarm that the privatisation of prisons undermines accountability, weakens labour protections, and places profit before rehabilitation and public safety. Today, the Court has affirmed, in substance, that the State cannot abdicate its responsibility, nor can workers be treated as disposable casualties in contractual transitions.

Let it be stated without hesitation: this is a victory for POPCRU. It is a victory forged through relentless struggle, through principled opposition to job losses, and through our unwavering commitment to defend the dignity of workers in the criminal justice system. At every stage, POPCRU has maintained that any transition must protect workers, must respect labour laws, and must place the public interest above corporate interests. The Court has now vindicated this position.

The ruling further confirms that the employees of G4S will not be thrown into the cold uncertainty of unemployment, but will instead be absorbed into the DCS. This is a decisive rejection of any attempt to retrench workers under the guise of contractual changes. It is a reminder that workers are not commodities to be discarded when profit margins shift—they are human beings whose livelihoods must be protected.

POPCRU has long called for the full insourcing of privately run correctional facilities, and this judgement strengthens our call: the Department of Correctional Services must take over all private prisons in South Africa. The Mangaung development must not be treated as an isolated incident, but as a policy direction—a necessary correction in the governance of correctional services. The State must reclaim its mandate fully, decisively, and without hesitation.

We therefore issue a firm and unequivocal call to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services and the National Commissioner of Correctional Services: do not challenge this judgement. Any attempt to appeal or delay its implementation will be viewed as an attack on workers, an attack on labour rights, and an attempt to reverse a hard-won victory. The path forward is clear—implement the judgement in full, ensure a smooth transition of workers, and begin the process of systematically ending the privatisation of prisons.

This judgement comes at a critical moment, on the eve of May Day—a day that reminds us of the sacrifices made by workers across generations. It is a fitting tribute to those struggles that today, workers at Mangaung can look to the future with certainty rather than fear. It is proof that when workers stand united, when unions remain vigilant, and when the struggle is sustained, victory is not only possible—it is inevitable.

POPCRU will continue to monitor the implementation of this judgement closely. We will not hesitate to act should there be any attempt to undermine the rights of workers during the transition process. Our position remains firm: no job losses, no erosion of conditions of service, and no compromise on the dignity of workers.

This is more than a legal victory—it is a political and ideological breakthrough. It reaffirms the principle that public services must serve the people, not profit. It strengthens the hand of those who fight for a just, equitable, and worker-centred society.

As we enter May Day, we do so with renewed energy, with strengthened resolve, and with the clear understanding that the struggle continues—but today, we celebrate a victory.

Aluta continua!

Issued by POPCRU on 30/04/2026

For more information contact Richard Mamabolo on 066 135 4349

28/04/2026

Media Statement

*POPCRU supports the 2026 COSATU May Day rallies*

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) stands firmly behind the upcoming Congress of South African Trade Unions May Day rallies scheduled for Friday, 01 May 2026, and calls on all its members across the country to attend these historic gatherings in their full numbers.

May Day is not merely a date on the calendar. It is a living symbol of the sacrifices, struggles, and victories of the international working class. It is rooted in the blood and sweat of workers who fought against exploitation, long working hours, unsafe conditions, and the denial of basic human dignity. From the Haymarket struggle in 1886 to the anti-apartheid labour movement in South Africa, May Day has always been a militant platform of resistance, unity, and renewal.

In South Africa, May Day carries a special revolutionary significance. It was the organised might of workers, united under formations such as COSATU, that played a decisive role in dismantling apartheid and advancing the National Democratic Revolution. It is through this unity that workers secured hard-won gains such as collective bargaining rights, improved working conditions, and the constitutional protections we enjoy today.

However, POPCRU emphasises that the struggle is far from over.

Today, workers are confronted with a new wave of challenges: austerity measures that erode wages, rising living costs, increasing medical aid burdens, unsafe working environments, and persistent unemployment that weakens the bargaining power of labour. In the criminal justice cluster, our members continue to operate under severe constraints — understaffing, overcrowding in correctional facilities, deteriorating infrastructure, and increasing risks to their lives.

This makes May Day 2026 not just a commemoration, but a call to action.

This year’s rallies must serve as a turning point in advancing the interests of workers and the broader working class. It must sharpen our resolve to defend collective bargaining, demand adequate resourcing of the public sector, and push back against policies that undermine worker dignity.

POPCRU therefore urges all its members, shop stewards, and leadership structures to mobilise decisively and attend the May Day rallies in their respective provinces as follows:

*Limpopo National Rally*
Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane

*Western Cape*
Mbekweni Sports Stadium, Paarl

*Free State*
Bultfontein Stadium, Bultfontein

*Eastern Cape*
Nangqa Jebe Hall, Gqeberha
BCM City Hall, kuGompo
Tobi Kula Indoor Sports Centre, Komani
Lusikisiki College Great Hall

*Gauteng*
Tsakane Stadium, Brakpan

*KwaZulu-Natal*
Curries Fountain Stadium, Durban

*Mpumalanga*
Kamagugu Stadium, Mbombela

*Northern Cape*
Galeshewe Open Air Arena, Kimberley

*North West*
Olympia Stadium, Rustenburg

All rallies will commence at 10h00.

POPCRU calls on its members to arrive in their regalia, disciplined, united, and ready to advance the programme of the working class. Let us fill these stadiums and halls with a single message: that workers will not retreat, workers will not be silenced, and workers will continue to fight for a just, equal, and transformed society.

May Day must once again echo with the militant voice of the working class.

Forward to May Day 2026!
Forward to worker unity and power!
An injury to one is an injury to all!

Issued by POPCRU on 28/04/2026

For more information contact Richard Mamabolo on 066 135 4349

13/04/2026

*18 POPCRU members graduate at UWC*

Today marks a proud and historic milestone for POPCRU, as 18 of its dedicated members graduate after successfully completing their Advanced Diploma in Public Administration at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).

This achievement is not merely academic—it is a powerful statement about the character, discipline, and vision of our members. In a sector often defined by demanding conditions and immense responsibility, these comrades have demonstrated that it is possible to rise above daily pressures and invest in personal and professional development. They have truly made education fashionable.

Their accomplishment reflects a deeper commitment to excellence within the Criminal Justice Cluster. It affirms that our members are not only defenders of workers’ rights and champions of safety and justice, but are also builders of knowledge, capacity, and progressive leadership within the state.

As POPCRU, we take immense pride in this milestone. It reinforces our long-held belief that an empowered and educated membership is the foundation of a strong, militant, and forward-looking organisation. These graduates are not only advancing their own futures—they are strengthening the collective capacity of our union and contributing meaningfully to the transformation of public service.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all 18 graduates. Your dedication inspires us all. You have set a powerful example for others to follow—that through commitment, sacrifice, and discipline, we can sharpen our tools, deepen our understanding, and better serve our people.

Let this moment ignite a culture of continuous learning across our ranks.

Indeed, comrades, education is not just fashionable—it is revolutionary.

We salute you.