SAPU: ENCOURAGES GENERAL SITOLE TO CONTINUE STANDING FIRM AGAINST POLITICAL INTERFERENCE AND CORRUPTION AS SARPCCO CHAIRPERSON AND TO NOT BE THREATENED

SAPU would like to encourage General Sitole to continue the difficult task of fighting corruption not only in South Africa, but also now in other African countries. General Sitole has vowed to fight corruption and has been doing exactly that, and as a result he displayed fighting corruption from the rank of constables to generals.

 It is unfortunate that other African countries also have to fight political interference from political heads who want to force their inputs on the individual police forces. SAPU is strongly condemning the sarcastic letters that the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele wrote to the National Commissioner especially regarding the restructuring agreement. It is also shocking that the Minister had the audacity to write a letter to NASCOM instructing General Sitole to take disciplinary steps against any member who does not agree with the Minister. The Minister’s interference in the operational running of the SAPS has long been a problem as the Minister is clearly acting outside of his portfolio and wants the National Commissioner to be submissive to the Minister’s ridiculous demands.

 The restructuring agreement which has been signed on 30 November 2020 has not been opposed by anyone to SAPU’s knowledge and the Minister of Police is the main stumbling block in implementing the restructuring process that was supposed be concluded in April 2021. There is a concluded agreement on restructuring and SAPU wants to see the full implementation as a matter of extreme urgency. By delaying the implementation of restructuring, the Minister is leaving SAPS in a limbo vacuum as all posts of SAPS are declared vacant. The Minister of Police as a political head is supposed to see to it that certain crucial issues such as the Covid-19 vaccination of SAPS employees is prioritised, but he is failing his political role and acts as if he is the National Commissioner of the SAPS. SAPU has learned from Mdluli’s case that Crime Intelligence has been captured by politicians for their own political gain. Another example of political interference that SAPU can refer to was an incident where the premier of the Northern Cape wanted to interfere with the appointment of the SAPS Northern Cape Provincial Commissioner for his own political agenda. Section 207(2) of the Constitution dictates that the National Commissioner must exercise control over and manage the police service in accordance with the national policing policy and the directions of the cabinet member responsible for policing. The constitution (Section 207(3)) dictates that a Provincial Commissioner is appointed by the National Commissioner with the concurrence of the provincial executive. In the event where two parties are unable to agree on the appointment, the National Minister must mediate between the parties. There is a clear distinction between the political responsibility of a political head who is also a member of cabinet in Section 206 and the role of the National Police Commissioner in Section 207(2) who is responsible for the operational part of the SAPS. Regulation 27 empowers the National Commissioner to create a new post as well as filling any vacancy.

The report submitted to the Minister must reflect on the requirements for the position and any directives that the Minister may issue. The Minister’s approval for the actual filling of a SMS vacancy is not required in terms of the said regulation, however any appointment to selected posts of the SMS by the National Commissioner must be done ONLY in consultation with the Minister. SAPU is urging the National Commissioner to continue to stand firm against the interference of the Minister and to continue to send a strong message that political interference should not be tolerated.

SAPU once again wants to congratulate General Sitole on his appointment as Chairperson of SARPCCO and believe that his appointment will bring change to policing in the African sphere and will support the National Commissioner in any way possible.