National Instructions

National instructions provide for rank of Brigadier to be given on appointment if requirements are met, regardless of gender or age; promoting females is encouraged in these instructions.

“It is in the national instructions ... encouraging that you promote females ... if you meet the requirements and you are appointed to the role ... you will be given the rank of Brigadier”

Lieutenant Colonel Sibiya acknowledged that it was wrong and against National Instructions for exhibits to be booked without forensic evidence bags but accepted it was happening operationally.

“work on the basis that I accept the truthfulness of you saying that, that your senior went ahead and completed these things without evidence bags ... It is against what the books say we should do. You knew that ... sometimes operationally we have to make decisions that are contrary to the National Instruction”

Warrant Officer Perumal allowed exhibits to be booked without forensic evidence bags, contrary to National Instructions, indicating something is not right.

“I think that Perumal, knowing the National Instruction, and as a custodian of the SAP13, allowing exhibits to be booked without forensic bags, then there is something that is not right there. It is proof that the exhibit bags were not there. That is why he is accepting drugs without forensic bags.”

The police station with responsibility for storing these exhibits could not store them properly and did not have exhibit bags, constituting significant anomalies and non-compliance with National Instructions.

“The very police station where these exhibits must be stored, for one reason or the other, cannot store them. Then the second point is they do not have exhibit bags, meaning a very important thing... according to the National Instructions, two things cannot happen, right? So would it not be prudent for that to be at least recorded somewhere?”

Investigating Officers do not bring samples only; they bring entire exhibits except for cannabis and cat, where sampling can be done according to National Instructions.

“I think even the National Instructions stated that they can only do sampling in Cannabis and Cat only. So, exhibits, because the National Instructions stated that all exhibits, so, which means Cocaine, Heroin, Mandrax, all of the other drugs that are not plants, they must bring everything to the lab .”

Each officer interprets National Instructions differently and exercises discretion.

“... from every officer that has testified here that each of them has their own interpretation of that instruction , and they use their discretion many times .”