'Police alone can't bring an end to violence'

(Image: GCIS)

"The point here is that we need to dialogue as a South African society and fundamentally confront this violence that is prevalent in this country," said Mthethwa.

Alluding to the attacks by protestors on a police station in Limpopo, which resulted in the death of three people, Mthethwa said attacks by community members on police stations and against police vehicles were not highlighted enough in South Africa.

He stressed that the Dangerous Weapons Act that came into effect on 2 January this year, made it illegal for people to carry weapons such as sticks or pangas during a protest.

Turning to the launch of the new university - South Africa's first ever police university - Mthethwa said the new institution would help professionalise the police service.

The new distance learning police university, which is being developed by the police in partnership with the University of South Africa (Unisa), the South African Military Academy and the Department of Higher Education and Training, will have a campus based at the present police academy at Paarl.

It follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the police and Unisa in Paarl in October last year.

The university would have two legs - a professional leg, which will help instil discipline and police culture in new members and an academic leg, which will offer internationally recognised qualifications in a bachelor of policing, as well as honours and masters in policing.

Mthethwa said his ministry was strengthening control, oversight and accountability at all levels of the police service and stressed that the majority of police officers were not brutal in nature.

(Image: Wikimedia Commons)

"We find the behaviour of certain individuals in this regard unacceptable. We need to point out that this should not be a reflection of the entire institution," he said.

National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega said the university should remain as open as possible to the community and those around it so as to keep in touch with key concerns in South Africa.

"This university should be a place, like a mighty river, that is in open contact with its environment where knowledge flows in and out, a place full of ideas and talent, forging a link to the realities of the South African society," she said.

She wished the first contingent of 125 bachelor of police students, who have enrolled in the university's first academic year and who were present at the ceremony, all the best in their studies.

Only 23 of the new contingent are women, and both Phiyega and Mthethwa said the aim was to reach gender parity in university attendees.

Phiyega also announced a programme in which dedicated police members would help keep learners secure at adopted schools across the country.

The service would also promote the police service among learners and attract new recruits into the service, she said.

Unisa principle and vice-chancellor Mandla Makhanya said though some may have questioned the role that university courses may play in improving police training, he pointed out that abundant research existed to show that academic learning and practical training were key to vocational learning.

He said Unisa had full faith in the police university but noted that some issues still needed to be finalised - such as financial support for students and delegated roles and responsibilities - however, he was confident that these would be addressed soon.

Also present at the ceremony was a delegation from Qatar, on a visit to assess the university to help inform the country's own plans to establish such an institution in the Gulf state.