A major labor union has strongly criticized KwaZulu-Natal’s Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, for blaming unions for police staff shortages.
At a crime meeting in Durban, Commissioner Mkhwanazi stated that the number of police officers in the province had dropped from 25,000 to 19,000. He argued that unions’ demands for higher salaries for existing officers leave the government with less money to hire new recruits, contributing to understaffing and higher crime levels. He also called South Africa’s labor laws problematic.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in KZN rejected these claims, calling them “misplaced” and warning they could create unnecessary tension. The union argued that staff shortages are not the fault of workers but are the result of government budget cuts and austerity measures influenced by financial pressures.
General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says rising salaries and strict labour laws reduce police hiring and weaken service delivery.
“Higher wages mean fewer jobs. If we fail the public, fire us.” pic.twitter.com/cPuYFLeaKE
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) August 20, 2025
COSATU stated that fighting for a living wage is about “fairness, dignity, and survival,” not greed, and that blaming public servants for systemic issues is unfair and divisive.
The National Treasury has previously acknowledged that rising public sector wage costs have limited the government’s ability to hire more staff. However, funding has recently been allocated to key sectors, leading the South African Police Service to begin hiring new officers, including 5,500 new trainees in July.