14/05/2024
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) says is deeply concerned by the alarmingly high number of unfilled vacancies in the South African Police Service (SAPS) emergency call centres (commonly known as 10 111 centres).
SAFTU says the revelation that only 41.31% of SAPS emergency call centres positions are filled means that 58,69% of posts are unfilled.
The federation says this raises serious questions about the government's commitment to public safety, efficient service delivery, and emergency response.
Spokesperson Trevor Shaku says people do not make emergency calls as a way of playing or fooling around but as a matter of safety distress from criminal attacks or domestic violence.
Shaku says the staff shortage in these call centres has led to a staggering number of abandoned calls and a shocking number of 14.9 million calls left unanswered since 2018/19 across 11 of the country’s 19 centres.
“This situation poses a significant risk to public safety, as many calls reporting safety emergencies or seeking assistance are not being attended to,”said Shaku.
Examining the data provided by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, Shaku said that it is evident that none of the call centres across the country are operating at their full capacity.
“Some provinces including the Free State, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and Kwa Zulu Natal, have unfilled vacancies of more than 60%. 10 111 centres such as in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape and Secunda in Mpumalanga are operating at alarmingly low levels, 8,2% and 14,2%,” he said.
Shaku says the impact of understaffing extends beyond emergency response times. It also affects the morale and well-being of the existing staff who are overburdened and unable to cope with the high volume of calls.
He says SAFTU recognizes the critical role that SAPS emergency call centres play in the efforts of combating crime and quick responses to ensure the safety and security of communities.
“We urge the government to take immediate action to address the staffing shortages in SAPS call centres. This includes prioritizing the recruitment and training of qualified personnel to fill vacant positions and ensuring adequate resources are allocated to support their operations,” he said. The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) says is deeply concerned by the alarmingly high number of unfilled vacancies in the South African Police Service (SAPS) emergency call centres (commonly known as 10 111 centres).
SAFTU says the revelation that only 41.31% of SAPS emergency call centres positions are filled means that 58,69% of posts are unfilled.
The federation says this raises serious questions about the government's commitment to public safety, efficient service delivery, and emergency response.
Spokesperson Trevor Shaku says people do not make emergency calls as a way of playing or fooling around but as a matter of safety distress from criminal attacks or domestic violence.
Shaku says the staff shortage in these call centres has led to a staggering number of abandoned calls and a shocking number of 14.9 million calls left unanswered since 2018/19 across 11 of the country’s 19 centres.
“This situation poses a significant risk to public safety, as many calls reporting safety emergencies or seeking assistance are not being attended to,”said Shaku.
Examining the data provided by the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, Shaku said that it is evident that none of the call centres across the country are operating at their full capacity.
“Some provinces including the Free State, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and Kwa Zulu Natal, have unfilled vacancies of more than 60%. 10 111 centres such as in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape and Secunda in Mpumalanga are operating at alarmingly low levels, 8,2% and 14,2%,” he said.
Shaku says the impact of understaffing extends beyond emergency response times. It also affects the morale and well-being of the existing staff who are overburdened and unable to cope with the high volume of calls.
He says SAFTU recognizes the critical role that SAPS emergency call centres play in the efforts of combating crime and quick responses to ensure the safety and security of communities.
“We urge the government to take immediate action to address the staffing shortages in SAPS call centres. This includes prioritizing the recruitment and training of qualified personnel to fill vacant positions and ensuring adequate resources are allocated to support their operations,” he said.
