Acting national police commissioner’s end was a long time coming
THE sudden removal of acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane was a long time coming.
This is according to Francois Beukman, police portfolio committee chairperson, who has called for amendments to the current SAPS Act to ensure a proper replacement is found.
On Thursday, the presidency announced Phahlane would be replaced by Lieutenant-General Lesetja Mothiba, who previously operated as the SAPS divisional head of the management intervention unit.
Phahlane has been the subject of a well-publicised corruption probe into how he managed to afford a home, believed to have cost R8 million and cars worth R4.3m.
The allegations of corruption against the previous four commissioners meant a lifestyle audit was critical, said Beukman.
The process in assigning a new commissioner should involve not only having to pass a panel interview with police experts, but also a full declaration of business interests and a lifestyle audit, he said.
The committee thanked previous police minister Nkosinathi Nhleko for his speed in addressing the issue last year – the suspension was a long time coming.
“The minister of police should be commended for his timely response to the call of the oversight committee of Parliament to intervene in the matter. We trust other challenges in the policing environ- ment will also be dealt with the same vigour and speed,” Beukman said.
The committee called on Mothiba to ensure the leadership of the SAPS focused on its core business of effective and proactive policing.
“The new acting national commissioner has a huge responsibility to ensure stability in the SAPS. The portfolio committee will closely monitor the performance and activities of SAPS in the coming weeks.”
In a media briefing on Thursday, Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said Phahlane needed to give reasons why he shouldn’t be suspended. However, Mbalula said even with the serious allegations against the former acting commissioner, “(he) has a right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty”.
He believed the police would be better served if Phahlane was afforded the time to deal with the allegations against him.