Phiyega suspension one step closer to a credible SAPS

14 October 2015

The DA welcomes the suspension of Riah Phiyega from her position as National Police Commissioner while the inquiry into her fitness is underway. We have long called for President Zuma to act against Phiyega on the basis of her multiple faults and failings, from an inability to turn the SAPS around into an efficient, effective and professional service that reduces crime, to her being embroiled in all manner of scandals, the most serious being the Marikana Massacre. 

The allegations against Phiyega about her being an active participant in enabling a corrupt environment within the SAPS in a letter from suspended IPID Head, Robert McBride, that surfaced this week is yet another reason to strengthen the case that she is not suitable for her position.

The DA has from the start argued that Phiyega’s appointment by President Zuma was a mistake. Her track record at the helm of police service has been ineffectual at best and appalling at worst:

No progress has been made in addressing police brutality;

She has failed to adequately address the resourcing crisis in the SAPS;

Violent crimes have soared under her watch with a murder rate that sees an average of 49 South Africans killed every single day;

No decisive action has been taken against SAPS members found to have criminal records; and

In addition she has been the subject of an investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for allegedly defeating the ends of justice. 

Her failings during her tenure have contributed to the decline of the SAPS and affected the service’s ability to provide safety and security to ordinary people in their homes, workplaces and in public. We need the best possible National Police Commissioner heading up our police service.

Her tenure at the helm of the police service has been mired in controversy which has been due to her incompetence as police chief to the detriment of the citizens whose everyday safety needs a properly equipped, trained and resourced SAPS.

Statement issued by Zakhele Mbhele MP, DA Shadow Minister of Police, 14 October 2015