State messed up

RETIREDJudge Ian Farlam was appointed by President Jacob Zuma to head an inquiry into the Marikana Massacre in which 34 miners were killed.

The report stated that police commissioner General Riah Phiyega could not remember pertinent details relevant to the shooting. A memory stick containing the recordings of the critical “D-Day” meeting suddenly vanished. Phiyega congratulated the police for their tactics and she is also accused of misleading the Farlam Commission. People want her to be held accountable, which makes legal sense. However, should she be held totally accountable or must the government be equally responsible for appointing a person with no experience as the national commissioner?

Phiyega has never before served in the police. Therefore, decisions on operational matters fell outside her field of expertise.

The North West commissioner, Zukiswa Mbombo, was also involved in operational decisions, although she had one year of experience in crime prevention. Maybe the Marikana killings could have been prevented if transparent selection protocols had been used to appoint personnel with the necessary experience. How can someone who has never served in the police be catapulted to the status of commissioner. It is in this context that the civil rights group Afriforum has stated that it is under Phiyega’s inept leadership that crime levels have increased. It is an obligation on the state to employ experienced and skilled public representatives. In this instance it seems as if they have not delivered.

The proposition of compensation is on the table. If the state decides to pay victims, it will send out a subtle but strong signal that we messed up. Vijay Surujpal