Phiyega in top cop blunder

The SAPS National Commissioner General Riah Phiyega during a media briefing to reflect on her first year in office, the media briefing was held at Tshedimosetso House( GCIS) in Pretoria.31/08/2013

The SAPS National Commissioner General Riah Phiyega during a media briefing to reflect on her first year in office, the media briefing was held at Tshedimosetso House( GCIS) in Pretoria.31/08/2013

Published Sep 1, 2013

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Johannesburg - National police commissioner General Riah Phiyega was left with egg on her face on Saturday when she had to withdraw the appointment of drunk-driving accused Major-General Mondli Bethuel Zuma as Gauteng’s top cop, less than eight hours after the announcement.

Phiyega announced the withdrawal of Zuma’s appointment on Saturday afternoon, having announced his appointment in the morning.

The national police chief admitted in a statement on Saturday that she was not aware of drunk-driving charges against Zuma until after she had already announced him as a replacement for former Gauteng commissioner Lieutenant-General Mzwandile Petros, who leaves the position with an impeccable record.

Independent Newspapers reported last year how Zuma appeared in the Pietermaritzburg District Court for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

He was also charged with failing to comply with a traffic officer’s instructions to stop at a roadblock.

Zuma also faced a further charge of escaping lawful custody and defeating the ends of justice after he allegedly prevented officers from taking a blood alcohol sample.

Phiyega confirmed on Saturday that charges against Zuma were still pending and that he was set to appear before a magistrate next month.

She claimed that Zuma, who was formerly based at the SAPS in the OR Tambo region in Johannesburg, had not declared any criminal charges against him and that the SAPS had established that he did not have a criminal record.

Phiyega appealed to the public not to judge her harshly for her latest blunder.

“I have always known that during the process of steering this organisation in the right direction, such issues would from time to time emerge.

“As I have previously stated, don’t judge me on the issues which emerge, but rather judge me on the actions that I take in response to those issues,” she said.

The DA had earlier demanded an explanation from Phiyega, saying the cloud hanging over his head was not in the interests of justice and policing in Gauteng.

“We are concerned about this appointment and the potential cloud over Zuma’s head, particularly given the work done by his immediate predecessor, Mzwandile Petros,” said DA Gauteng community safety spokeswoman Kate Lorimer.

At the briefing on Saturday, Phiyega marked her first year in office by announcing the restructuring of the SAPS’s top echelons.

Phiyega, who has had a tough year as the first female national commissioner of the SAPS – it was characterised by the tragic Marikana shootings last year and numerous cases of police brutality – braved questions on Saturday about the perceived damage to the reputation of the police service.

While she noted the successes recorded by the police and improvements on many technical levels, she was quick to differentiate hard-working police officers from “ill-willed” officers who found themselves on the wrong side of the law.

She announced the restructuring of the police management by trimming the number of deputy police commissioners from six to only three.

Lieutenant-General Khehla John Sithole has been appointed as the deputy commissioner for policing operations, while Lieutenant-General Stefan Schutte has been appointed deputy national commissioner responsible for administration and finances.

Lieutenant-General Nobubele Mbekela has been appointed deputy national commissioner responsible for corporate services management.

Phiyega again defended the police’s actions on August 16 last year when 34 miners were shot dead by heavily-armed police.

“Police didn’t go to Marikana because they wanted to be there, they went there because they were called in to assist in an environment that was experiencing challenges,” she said.

 

She said she was looking forward to the conclusion of the Farlam commission, which is investigating the Marikana massacre.

Phiyega announced the appointment of Zuma, Lieutenant-General Fanie Masemola and Lieutenant-General Simon Mpembe as provincial commissioners for Gauteng, Limpopo and Free State, respectively.

“These appointments are not about individuals but about the organisation and how it will serve the community.”

She also defended her own appointment on the basis that she was not a career policewoman. “I have learnt that many management principles applied in mining, retail or whatever sector are required to manage the police service, and that is what I have brought to the service,” she said.

Lieutenant General Lesetja Mothiba, divisional commissioner for visible policing, has been appointed in the interim as the Gauteng police commissioner.

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Sunday Independent

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