State of policing a reflection of struggle between Cele, Sitole - ISS
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) has reiterated its call for politics and politicians to play less of a role in the appointment of police’s leadership structure.
A report into last year's July unrest where over 300 people were killed in pro Zuma protests, found that Police Minister Bheki Cele and National Commissioner Khehla Sitole were poles apart in their efforts to curb the violence.
The ISS's Jakkie Cilliers believes that the appointment of the police executive structure should be done independently.
"It's the president's prerogative to appoint the minister and the national commissioner which is one of the few problems we have with South Africa's constitution that DGs are appointed and report and accountable to the president.
"This presents us with a problem: what we want is top civil servants to be appointed independently."
Apparent tensions between Cele and Sitole have been the source of much speculation since 2021.
During last year's commission into the July unrest, Cele lay the blame on Sitole.
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He claimed that Sitole was nowhere to be found during the unrest.
Cilliers believes that the state of the police department is a reflection of the lack of a relationship between Cele and Sitole.
"The police minister and commissioner are at odds with one another. I think since September of last the national commissioner has been facing a threat of being suspended by the president.
"That and the fact that most of the top appointments within crime intelligence are either temporary appointments or have been removed as part of infighting within SAPS.
"These are many of the issues that point to a lack of stability, a lack of credibility within the police."
