Overcoming language barriers: An exploration of the police perceptions of the digitisation of witness statements in South Africa

Abstract

The research identified instances were the English version of sworn statements was an inaccurate translation of the indigenous statement provided by a witness or complainant. The inaccurate translation of indigenous witness statements is a global phenomenon that manifests against the backdrop of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). This study was conducted to explore police experiences of taking indigenous witness statements, and to establish their perceptions of the digitisation of witness statements. Purposive sampling was used for sampling. Interview schedules were administered to eighteen (18) South African Police Service (SAPS) members from nine Community Service Centres (CSC) in Soweto, a township in the Gauteng province. Ethical consideration, measures of trustworthiness and the Theory of Performance (ToP) were applied. The ToP provides that a person’s level of performance is dependent on the interaction of various contextual factors. Thematic content analysis was conducted using Atlas ti resulting in five dominant themes or impact factors namely “skills”, “collaboration”, “resources”, “duration” and “language”. Results showed that a majority of the SAPS members perceived that witness statements should be digitised to address language challenges experienced and improve their level of performance. Furthermore, they perceived the usefulness of technology in modernising outdated resources in the SAPS.