Johannesburg - National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega has asked President Jacob Zuma to give her a second chance as she battles to ward off the recommendations of the Farlam Commission into the Marikana massacre.
Police sources who have seen her response say the beleaguered commissioner apparently pleads that she had been in her job in the SAPS for only two months when the Marikana incident happened, and that it would be unfair for her to be singled out and blamed for the killing of the mineworkers as the decision to intervene was a collective effort.
The Presidency confirmed yesterday that Phiyega had met the deadline to respond to the findings of the Farlam Commission of Inquiry.
Phiyega’s response effectively paves the way for an official inquiry into her fitness to hold office, as recommended by the commission.
A statement by the Presidency said: “General Riah Phiyega submitted, just before 23h00 last night (Friday), her comments and views to President Jacob Zuma, following recommendations of the Marikana Commission of Inquiry chaired by Honourable Judge Ian Gordon Farlam.
“President Zuma will study the response to determine whether any intervention is warranted, and the nature of such intervention.”
Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo, acting spokesman while Phiyega’s spokesman, Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale, was on leave, referred all enquiries to the Presidency.
In a desperate bid to cling to her position amid growing calls for her resignation, Phiyega pulled out all the stops this week as her office summoned several provincial commissioners to rally their support behind her.
On the eve of her deadline to respond to Zuma, Phiyega’s office issued a statement of support on behalf of the “board of provincial commissioners”.
The statement claimed Phiyega had the full support of all the nine provincial commissioners and claimed that her submissions to the commission – though widely discredited – had their backing.
The Sunday Independent has it on good authority that the statement was in fact drafted by Makgale.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the offices of three provincial commissioners have confirmed that they received calls from Makgale requesting their public support for Phiyega.
Makgale called on them to show their support in a statement. Instead of endorsing a single joint statement, Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga provinces issued separate statements.
In response, Makgale said: “I didn’t know that I had the authority to instruct provincial commissioners and divisional commissioners to issue statements in support of the national commissioner.”
The Sunday Independent reported last week that senior generals at police headquarters were threatening to break ranks with Phiyega because they did not agree with the testimony she submitted to the Farlam Commission.
The Farlam Commission said Phiyega appeared to have been complicit in an attempted cover-up and efforts to mislead the inquiry over a meeting at which the police top brass took a decision to end the strike by mineworkers the following day.
This decision led to the killing of 34 miners as it forced operational commanders to come up with a quick-fix plan that was poorly thought through and executed.
Phiyega has rejected the findings, saying they portrayed police management as having gone to work “with murderous intent”.
Gareth Newham, head of the governance, crime and justice division at the Institute of Security Studies said it was highly likely that the board of inquiry into her fitness to hold office will end in a recommendation that she be dismissed.
“However, if the SAPS is to become a well-respected and trusted organisation, known for its professionalism and effectiveness in tackling crime, it will take much more than simply appointing another national commissioner. Rather, the entire senior management echelon will need to be revitalised to consist only of individuals with appropriate skills and expertise, along with impeccable integrity.”
Newham furthermore, said South Africa should expect to see the suspensions of all those police officers referred to in the Commission's report pending the finalisation of criminal and disciplinary steps against them.
“Only a solid senior management team of highly experienced and honest police officers will be able to develop and implement strategies that will reduce police misconduct and improve their performance in reducing crime.
“Let's hope that the president implements his government's own plan so that the many honest and skilled officers working under difficult conditions can start to rebuild the credibility of the SAPS. This would at least mean that the Marikana massacre contributed to something positive, given the massive trauma and pain it has inflicted on its victims and on the psyche of South Africa,” said Newham.
Sunday Independent