Police Oversight and Community Safety
Question Number:
20
Question Body:
Hon Walters.
With regard to the Klawer Police Station:
- Given that the Western Cape community is predominantly Afrikaans-speaking, whether proficiency in Afrikaans is part of the appointment criteria at the Klawer Police Station; if so;
- whether the officers at the police station are proficient in Afrikaans; if not, how does the SAPS deal with complaints that police officers fail to provide the necessary service to the community due to language barriers?
Answer Body:
1 Proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking two official languages (i.e., English and at least one other) is a requirement for appointment to theSouth African Police Service. In the Western Cape, the two most widely spoken languages are English and Afrikaans.
(2) The majority (76%) of employees at Klawer SAPS are proficient in Afrikaans. To address potential language barriers, the station has implemented internal measures to facilitate effective communication and service delivery. These controls ensure that all community members, regardless of their language preference, receive the necessary assistance and support.
Date:
Thursday, March 20, 2025
