By Sibusiso Ngalwa and Moshoeshoe Monare
The rivalry, or battle for publicity, between Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and his deputy Fikile Mbalula has become so nasty and "petty" that Mthethwa, and Police Commissioner Bheki Cele, pressured Mbalula to cancel a press conference.
Mbalula was meant to address the Pretoria-based National Press Club on Wednesday, but the event was mysteriously cancelled at short notice.
Independent Newspapers was reliably told that Mthethwa and Cele called Yusuf Abramjee, chairman of the press club, demanding that the national police commissioner attend the event.
The minister, according to a reliable source, told Abramjee that he was not dead and should not be replaced by Mbalula while still alive. The source asked not to be named because "I am close to the issues". However, the information was independently verified and confirmed by an official within the press club.
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Abramjee argued that Mbalula was also going to address political and party issues, not just policing issues. But Mthethwa and Cele insisted that Mbalula was likely to address issues that fall within the political ambit of the minister or the administrative control of the commissioner.
Independent Newspapers was also informed that Cele ordered that all invitations to Mbalula should go through his office.
When contacted yesterday, Abramjee would only say that he was not aware of the reasons for the cancellation.
"I got a call from Fikile asking that we cancel the briefing and reschedule it for another date," Abramjee said.
Signs of unease between Mthethwa and Mbalula go back to soon after the two were appointed to the ministry six months ago. A police parade was cancelled in the Eastern Cape because the minister was apparently not told about it.
When reports of tensions emerged initially, the three police leaders issued a joint statement, blaming "evil forces" within the police for the claims.
However, a few months ago Mbalula did not arrive for a briefing at the same press club. He had been invited along with Mthethwa and Cele, soon after the commissioner's appointment.
According to a senior official close to the police, some senior administrators left as a result of the clash between the minister and his deputy.
Former police chief of staff Panyaza Lesufi left to join Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga. Lesufi could not be reached yesterday.
The tension between Mbalula and Mthethwa is understood to be politically motivated.
The ANC Youth League has previously said Mbalula should have been made a full minister.
It is also understood that youth leaders feel Mbalula is more senior than Mthethwa politically - given that Mbalula was the youth league's secretary-general and later president, while Mthethwa was the league's national organiser.
Yesterday tensions between the minister and his deputy were again denied.
In another joint statement, they said the event had not been cancelled, but merely postponed.
The reason for the postponement, the statement said, was that the department would be part of media briefings next week in Cape Town as part of the justice, crime prevention and security cluster.
"It is against this background that we need to clarify, and in fact dismiss, the allegations that the National Press Club briefing was cancelled as a result of 'tensions in the police leadership'. Both the minister and his deputy enjoy a healthy, professional working relationship with clear areas of responsibilities," said the statement.
Mthethwa is the political head and executing authority and his responsibilities include crime intelligence, protection and security, detective services and the new Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation.
Mbalula is responsible for administration and visible policing.
However, another source - an ANC national executive committee member - said on Thursday that Mbalula was also "frustrating" Mthethwa by making "reckless" announcements without "consulting his principal". She declined to be named.
Prince Mashele, director of the Centre for Politics and Research said that the spat between the police bosses undermined the broader fight against crime.
"This also undermines the weight of the political message that comes from that ministry. Once the public picks up that these guys are fighting, then the question is asked 'how can they be fighting and be united in fighting crime?' Unfortunately crime is one of our national priorities so you cannot afford two political heads fighting," Mashele said.
He added that the politicians risked losing the respect of the public. "When Mbalula speaks, he won't be taken seriously because people will wonder if he has the support of the minister and (vice versa)," he said.
Mashele added that senior ANC leadership would have to intervene in the stand-off.
"You need intervention from Luthuli House... without that they will continue to fight at the expense of our anti-crime agenda," he said.
- This article was originally published on page 1 of Sunday Independent on November 08, 2009
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