The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) welcomes the precautionary suspension of the National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, pending the outcome of the criminal case against him.
Evidence given before the Madlanga Commission and testimony heard by the parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on Organised Crime and Police Involvement left President Cyril Ramaphosa with no other choice but to take this step.
Since General George Fivaz retired, not a single national police commissioner has completed his or her term of office.
According to all indications, Masemola will follow in his predecessors’ footsteps and not serve his full term.
This highlights the depth of the historical crisis affecting the police service, and explains why public confidence in the police has reached an unprecedented low, while crime levels are at an all-time high.
Meanwhile, there is a question mark hanging over the appointment of Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane as Acting National Commissioner.
Lieutenant-General Dimpane served, and continues to serve, as the Chief Financial Officer of the SAPS during a period marked by extensive financial irregularities, in which significant sums of money were misappropriated – evidence of this was recently presented before, among others, Judge Madlanga.
This does not mean that Lieutenant-General Dimpane is directly implicated in any wrongdoing, but the fact that these transgressions occurred under her watch does not instil confidence.
The Freedom Front Plus believes that the problem is deeply rooted within the police’s entire top and senior management, and that isolated changes will not bring about meaningful reform.
The appointment of inept candidates as senior police officials, and particularly as national commissioners, is one of the main reasons for the police’s current predicament.
It is important to note that it is the President’s responsibility to appoint the national police commissioner.
Everything will have to be laid bare at once if the police service is to be cleaned up. Police officials who are above reproach and whose actions are motivated by a desire to keep our country safe – rather than personal gain – should be appointed.
This is the only way to restore public confidence in the police.
Freedom Front Plus Coalition Politics: The party has participated in coalition governments at local and provincial levels.
Spontan8Ty
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Shebeen – an unlicensed bar [sha-been] These are unlicensed bars usually found in low-income suburbs located outside of the major towns and cities, more commonly known as ‘the townships’.