Johannesburg - The police service need to be rescued from its current scandal-ridden situation, Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said at the party's Limpopo congress on Saturday.
“When leaders fight, the country is overwhelmed by crime and people are asking who will save police service?”
Zille said that the controversies surrounding suspended police commissioner General Bheki Cele, former crime intelligence head Lt-Gen Richard Mdluli and acting police boss Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi defocused the government.
She said police were not focused on protecting South Africans; “they are focusing on fight for positions.”
The country remains on tenterhooks about the fate of Cele, after media reports said he had been fired by Zuma in connection with a police lease deals scandal.
Mdluli was interdicted by the labour court this week from performing any duties as a police official pending an application to reinstate criminal and disciplinary charges against him.
This week, Mkhwanazi was accused in a media report of mismanaging a secret service account.
On Thursday, Mkhwanazi - who took the decision to suspend Mdluli Ä told the media that he was the victim of a conspiracy to unsettle the management of the SA police service.
“There are a lot of things that these people are doing just to discredit this management of the SAPS.”
At Saturday's congress, DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko also reiterated her call for President Jacob Zuma not to stand for a second term in office.
“I asked him not to stand for leadership in Manguang so that he can leave his term as president in peace,” she said.
Mazibuko was heckled and jeered by ANC MP's in parliament when she made the same request last month.
The ANC will hold its elective conference in Mangaung in the Free State, in December.
On Saturday, Mazibuko also repeated her call for Limpopo Premier Cassel Mathale to resign, calling the province a “collapsed province”.
“Presiding over the shortfall of over R2 billion is a good enough reason for Mr Mathale to resign before being asked to do so,” she said.
Last month, Zuma said he was awaiting reports on fraud and maladministration investigations before determining the fate of Mathale.
Five provincial departments were placed under administration by cabinet in December 2011 following bad governance and financial irregularities. - Sapa