Following Mamelodi Tragedy, Police and prison civil rights union (POPCRU) Reignites Debate on Police Mental Health Support

JOHANNESBURG – The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) has pointed a direct finger at the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Employee Health and Wellness (EHW) unit, holding its alleged failures responsible for the recent Mamelodi hostage tragedy. The incident involved a police constable who allegedly held his family hostage before taking his own life following a paternity dispute.

In a passionate interview, POPCRU President Thulani Ngwenya called the event a “sad day” for SAPS and stated it highlighted a deep and dangerous crisis within the police's support structures.

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A Symptom of a Broken System

Ngwenya argued that the constable’s extreme actions cannot be divorced from his working environment and the lack of adequate mental health support.

“How can a member go home and hold family hostages if it's not related to the working environment?... We find it very difficult to accept that maybe he was not given enough support from the work,” Ngwenya stated.

He directly challenged National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola’s defence of the EHW programme’s confidentiality, claiming the reality for officers on the ground is starkly different.

Rank, Bullying, and Breached Confidentiality

The core of POPCRU’s criticism revolves around a toxic culture within the EHW unit itself. Ngwenya alleged that the programme is ineffective and misused, with counsellors often more concerned with rank than providing care.

“They drop a rank and they can't come to the level of the members... It's only the rank. It's not the service that they must give to members,” he said, explaining that high-ranking officers often refuse to engage with junior EHW staff.

Furthermore, Ngwenya made the serious allegation that confidentiality is routinely breached, with private information being used to “bully” and “lambast” members, potentially hindering their career advancement.

The Call for External, Professional Help

POPCRU is renewing its long-standing demand for the EHW function to be moved out of SAPS and merged with the Police Medical Emergency Trust (PMET). This, they argue, would create a independent, professional service free from the SAPS rank hierarchy.

“We need to get professionals, not rank-oriented people, to deal with these matters... It does not have a rank; it's just people who are professionals,” Ngwenya urged.

He dismissed the suggestion that officers should simply seek private care, noting that police salaries are insufficient and that adequate support is a contractual right SAPS is failing to provide.

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A Threat to Public and Officer Safety

Ngwenya concluded with a stark warning: the failure to address these psychological support issues poses a “very serious threat.” The strain of police work requires consistent debriefing and professional mental health intervention. Without a drastic overhaul of the EHW system, POPCRU fears similar tragedies will continue to occur, endangering both officers and the public they serve.