Safety MEC questions police commissioner’s CPF stand
JOBURG - The MEC for Community Safety in Gauteng Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane voiced her shock at the withdrawal of Community Police Forums' (CPF) oversight functions.
Nkosi-Malobane said the Gauteng provincial government has noted reports that the police provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Lesetja Mothiba in Gauteng has issued a directive suspending all CPFs’ oversight activities in the province.
She said, “It is the province’s firm view that not only is the directive contrary to the law, but also that the provincial commissioner has no such power under law.”
Nkosi-Malobane also stated that the directive potentially regresses all the work they have done over many years to strengthen relations between communities and law enforcement organisations. She said oversight is a Constitutional imperative to ensure that police services do not answer to themselves but are accountable to civilian Constitutional structures established for this purpose. Nkosi-Malobane vowed that she will thus ensure that CPFs continue to enjoy unfettered access to all stations to uphold police accountability.
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