Cape Town – Newly-appointed acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Lesetja Mothiba on Thursday committed to turn the tide on crime in South Africa.
"Firstly, I would like to thank the honourable president [Jacob Zuma] for appointing me the interim acting [police chief]. I will be meeting the Police Minister Fikile Mbalula so that he can give me my marching orders," Mothiba addressed journalists in Cape Town for the first time in his new role.
"The plan is there, my role is to fight crime. That is why I am here for. I am here to fight crime and to provide service to the people of this country."
Mothiba, the former Gauteng police commissioner takes the role from Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane, who was removed from the post of acting national police chief by Zuma on Thursday.
Toppled from the police chief post, Phalane automatically reverts to his old post of forensic services divisional commissioner.
However, Mbalula wants to suspend Phahlane from that senior post.
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On Thursday, Mbalula told journalists that he has asked Phahlane to provide satisfactory reasons why he must not be suspended with immediate effect.
“It is clear to me that the initial reasoning over Lt-General Phahlane’s undesirableness of staying as acting national police commissioner equally arises in his original role [position of forensic services divisional commissioner],” said Mbalula.
“Accordingly, Lt-General Phahlane has been requested by myself to furnish me with cogent and reasonable reasons why I should not suspend him from his position as forensic services divisional commissioner with immediate effect.”
Mbalula said the damning allegations against Phahlane had been his downfall.
“We wish to thank the president for his wisdom and decisive action in this regard. There are clearly serious allegations of misconduct on the part of Lt-General Phahlane which also impacts on his fitness to hold office as the acting national police commissioner,” said Mbalula.
“The allegations against Lt-General Phahlane raise questions of conduct that would be inconsistent with expectations that attend those who hold leadership in our police service, the South African Police Service.”