Lungani Zungu
The policing sector is battling to function – and not because of criminals, but because of battles going on between the top brass.
This is the view of the South African Policing Union (Sapu), which represents more than 88,000 members countrywide.
“If they do not end the fighting, then our sector will keep on deteriorating and we will not be able to fight crime,” Sapu’s general-secretary Tumelo Mogodiseng told Scrolla.Africa.
He said the squabbling in the top brass has trickled down to lower levels within the police.
“We are forced to take sides. We have become like politicians when we are public servants,” he said.
The union wrote a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa last week urging him to end the feud.
Scrolla.Africa understands that a meeting between Ramaphosa, Police Minister Bheki Cele and police commissioner General Khehla Sitole is on the cards, but dates are yet to be confirmed.
Mogodiseng said the fallout between the two started when Sitole refused to address Cele as “General,” the title Cele received when he was serving as national police commissioner between 2009 and 2011.
According to Mogodiseng, Sitole insisted on calling him an “honourable minister.”
Cele recently told the media that he had a cordial relationship with Sitole.
Mogodiseng said this was not so.
“Their relationship is less than cordial. It is affecting the police on the ground because some have taken sides with Sitole, while others support Cele. It’s a mess,” he said.
He said the only person who could end the feud was Ramaphosa.
In last week’s letter to Ramaphosa, Mogodiseng said: “Mr President, you are humbly requested to call all the role players to order, especially the minister.”
He said Cele must be told that he is no longer the national commissioner and called for stability in the police, to create stability at the management level of the SAPS.
Acting spokesperson in the presidency, Tyrone Seale, did not respond to requests for comment.
