Party set to challenge choice of police chief

THE ANC in Johannesburg will challenge the appointment of the metro’s new chief of police‚ David Tembe‚ “using all available avenues”‚ saying he is not the most suitable person for the job.

ANC Johannesburg spokesman Jolidee Matongo said the opposition party would approach the cooperative governance MEC in Gauteng‚ and the minister of public service and administration to look into the matter.

“We have also given our legal team all the required documentation to start a process to have this appointment set aside‚” Matongo said.

The ANC took issue with Tembe initially being scored fifth out of the possible candidates who were interviewed for the position in a report tabled to council in a special council meeting in October.

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba announced yesterday that Tembe had started his duties as chief of the Johannesburg department on Tuesday.

Mashaba said Tembe’s public safety career had begun in 1981 as a paramedic with the Johannesburg Emergency Services.

He was appointed its acting head in 2002 and joined the metro police in 2003‚ after almost 20 years of service in the EMS.

Tembe had been appointed national chief of traffic and had resigned in 2011 to pursue a career as a consultant in law enforcement in 2013‚ Mashaba said.

The ANC said the recruitment panel had recommended Tembe’s appointment because this was a crucial position and the city preferred the candidate being able to take up the position immediately.

Tembe met the requirement of being a registered member of a municipal police service. The others did not. –