Cape Town - Top cop Jeremy Vearey has taken a swipe at Premier Helen Zille, politely lecturing politicians for commenting on court cases and policing matters of which they have no clue.
Major-General Jeremy Vearey was part of a police management team led by Major-General Thembisile Patekile who briefed the Western Cape Parliament’s standing committee on community safety on the police’s annual report on Wednesday.
While Patekile highlighted the strides being made in the fight against crime and the challenges, such as serious and violent crimes in the province, Vearey made a point of zooming in on the relationship between police and politicians in the province. And he stressed that the ongoing mudslinging was negatively affecting police morale and staff relations.
“If we are constantly questioned in the media – and now I am not talking about trying to engage us in this forum – when we first hear about an issue with us in the media then I am sure it does not make for sound relationships. It does not respect the channels and structures through which we express our differences with each other,” he told the committee.
While steering clear of naming Zille, Vearey referred to the premier’s most recent newsletter, which he said mentioned a conspiracy between politicians and senior officers in the police.
“These things are peddled out there by innuendo and no evidence. For us as investigators that is an extremely irresponsible thing to do.”
Vearey said it was nothing new but has been coming on for the past 15 years.
He said it was premature to comment on matters before court, particularly if they did not understand the interpretation of the evidence.
There was a tense moments in the chamber following Vearey’s remarks, but then DA chief whip Mark Wiley, who had been following proceedings from his office, arrived.
He said: “We are politicians and politicians respond to political rhetoric. And politicians also have a responsibility to ensure that officials remain within the public service act.”
Cape Argus