FF Plus welcomes the permanent appointment of a seasoned policeman as SAPS National Commissioner
23 November 2017
The FF Plus welcomes the appointment of lieutenant-general Khehla Sithole as the new National Police Commissioner. He is an experienced and seasoned member from the ranks of the police and will bring much-needed stability to the top management structures of the police, says Dr Pieter Groenewald, leader of the FF Plus.
Lt Gen. Sithole started out in the police service as a constable in 1986 and he worked his way up through the ranks.
In 2013, he was appointed as the deputy National Commissioner of Protection and Security services.
According to Dr Groenewald, this is the first time since 1999 that someone from the ranks of the police was appointed as National Police Commissioner.
He says that the FF Plus has always been opposed to politically-motivated appointments of people that had no police experience as it formed part of the problems that lead to the deterioration of the police service, which now has rotten apples all throughout its structures.
“Now that the Commissioner has been appointed, the first test will be to see if he will permanently appoint experienced and competent commanders, that are not politically subservient, in existing positions that are currently only being filled by acting appointments, like crime intelligence for example.
“In the future, the FF Plus would like to see that the National Police Commissioner is appointed based on a recommendation made by a selection panel, which consists of the members of the parliamentary portfolio committee for police and other experts, so as to ensure that the best candidate is appointed. At present, the President is the only one who has a say in the appointment of a candidate.
“Lt Gen. Sithole is facing enormous challenges pertaining to fighting crime in South Africa. He is equipped to overcome these challenges and he has the necessary skills and expertise. The FF Plus will support him in making the right decisions in order to effectively fight crime in South Africa,” says Dr Groenewald.
Issued by Pieter Groenewald, FF Plus Leader, 23 November 2017
