Cape Town - Provincial police say the picture that was circulating on social media of police vehicles at a fishing spot on the Nieuwedrift Dam in Paarl showed an authorised event.
Ian Cameron from ActionSocietySA posted the picture on social media saying: “This photo was taken today at the Nieuwedrift Dam in Paarl. SAPS vehicles being used for fishing! This surely cannot be okay while one in three police vehicles in the Western Cape is broken? Often communities are told SAPS can’t respond as no vehicle available, did they go fishing?”
The police said they were aware of the incident where two police vehicles were photographed at a dam in Paarl last week at an event authorised by provincial management.
“What the photographer captured here was an official sporting event where police officials participated in a shore angling competition while on duty, but not performing their normal duties,” said police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut.
He said the use of official vehicles had been authorised for the purpose of the event and official police regulations had not been transgressed.
“While we appreciate the fact that the public has come forward with the complaint by circulating the image on social media, it is worthy to note that our members work tirelessly under difficult circumstances and their participation in sporting events is encouraged by management to rejuvenate themselves, especially with the festive season on our doorstep,” said Traut.