Cyril Ramaphosa hunts for top cop

President Cyril Ramaphosa is shopping for a new top cop, and there is no idea when he – or she – is coming to work in one of the most career-limiting jobs in the country.

At stake is the position of new national police commissioner after the axing of Khehla Sitole – and the position comes with a heavy history that could be difficult to fill.

Eldred de Klerk, policing expert and director and senior associate of the African Centre for Security and Intelligence Praxis, said the problems facing the South African police were deep-rooted and systemic.

De Klerk said the police was devoid of doctrine and had no vision. He said even if the president replaced the national commissioner tomorrow, it would not change the problems within the system “and there was nothing wrong with taking our time to appoint a person who could lead in a proper way”, De Klerk said.

He said the stability of the SA Police Service (Saps) lay in competent station commanders across the country.

ALSO READ: National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole steps down

He also said the job of real leadership at a national level was twofold: it was about functional management, as well as appointing capable members to do their jobs.

“Leadership is what we don’t have, which is supposed to be publicly inspired leaders, people who understand that the Saps is part of those vital institutions that need to deliver on the developmental problems of the country.”

At the post-State of the Nation Address (Sona) media briefing of the justice, crime prevention and security cluster yesterday, Police Minister Bheki Cele said he would not answer any questions regarding Sitole, as the new appointment was up to the president.

De Klerk said credit should be given to Sitole for “falling on his sword”.

He said Sitole seemed at one stage to want to resist and hold on to his position. “It is a good thing he accepted President Ramaphosa’s decision, and we celebrate that,” he said.

Political analyst Levy Ndou said the politicisation of the police department was the real issue, and the department would never have a suitable candidate if they continued appointing people with political connections.

“What they [the police] should do is look for a person who has all the qualities and experience in policing. All the other people who were appointed in the past never had any experience in the police force, hence the police force is in shambles,” he said.

“They need to identify a person who is in the system, who will be able to deal with police matters. If [the country’s leaders] continue to “appoint people without skills and policing background there will never be positive movement within that department”.

President Ramaphosa said in his Sona that Cabinet must take overall responsibility for the July unrest after the release of the expert report. T

he report said there was no doubt that the police had insufficient capacity to stop the violence. It said the Public Order Police division of Saps had never filled its full staff complement. The units were centralised and were not distributed across police stations.

Here is the thin blue line at top:

1995 – 2000 General JG Fivaz
2000 – 2009 General JS Selebi, jailed
2009 – 2011 General BH Cele, fired
2011 – 2012 Lieutenant-General NS Mkhwanazi, acting
2012 – 2015 General MV Phiyega, suspended till contract ended
2015 – 2017 Lieutenant-General KJ Phahlane, fired
2017 – 2017 Lieutenant-General L Mothiba, acting
2017 – 2022 General KJ Sitole, fired

– lungas@citizen.co.za