Gauteng SAPS and Gauteng ANC leadership defy oversight mandate of members of the legislature

01 August 2014

The SAPS in Gauteng are currently denying access to Police Stations for individual members of the Provincial Legislature (MPL's) doing oversight.  They are insisting that permission be requested from the Provincial Police Commissioner before such visits occur.

It is the function of MPL's to perform oversight visits to public institutions to fulfil their constitutional mandate of oversight.

Many MP's and MPL's, countrywide and across the political spectrum have done unannounced visits on police Stations for many years to ensure that they are properly resourced and functional.

However, in Gauteng, it seems station commanders have been informed in writing that they are not to allow these visits if the public representative has not got permission from the provincial Commissioner, Lt. General Lesetja Mothiba.

It is clear the ANC in the province, in the form of the new MEC for Community Safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane, support this view of the SAPS.  In the Community Safety budget debate in the house today, the MEC stated that individual members of the legislature are not entitled to do oversight and that only portfolio committees can do such visits.

There is a limited number of visits a committee can do.  Unannounced oversight visits by all public representatives are an important part of transparency and accountability.

What do they have to hide?

Statement issued by Kate Lorimer MPL, DA Spokesperson, Safety & Security, Gauteng, August 1 2014

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