Weight of nation’s expectations rests on Masemola’s shoulders

On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the new national commissioner of police, General Sehlahle Fannie Masemola. This was Ramaphosa’s speech at the announcement.

IN THE State of the Nation Address, I spoke of our initiatives to strengthen the criminal justice system.

I said we would make resources available to recruit and train an additional 12 000 new police personnel to ensure that the SAPS urgently gets the capacity it needs.

I also said we would be giving attention to the re-establishment of community policing forums to improve relations and co-ordination between local police and residents of the areas they serve.

I said we would take a more inclusive approach to assessing the threats to our country’s security and determining the necessary responses. We will do this so that we don’t have a recurrence of the unrest of July 2021.

In the past few weeks, we have reinforced our criminal justice system through the appointment of:

A new head of the Investigating Directorate (ID) of the National Prosecuting Authority, advocate Andrea Johnson;

A new director-general of State Security, ambassador Thembisile Majola; and

Five permanent directors of public prosecutions in five provinces where these positions had been occupied by acting directors: advocate

NR Khanyane (Mpumalanga), Mr L Mzukisi (Northern Cape), advocate N Somaru (Free State), advocate N Bell (Western Cape), and advocate Makhari-Sekhaolelo (North West).

In addition, the SAPS has begun the recruitment of 12 000 constables.

The government’s Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster is at the centre of our efforts to deal with criminality and secure justice for victims of crime. This is an effort in which we are joining hands with all sectors of society, and communities in particular. Stability and cohesion within the JCPS Cluster is a prerequisite for the fight against crime.

One of the key national positions in which we want citizens and our men and women in blue to have absolute confidence is that of the national commissioner of police and the leadership of the police.

The national police commissioner is expected to work alongside the minister of police, colleagues and peers in the JCPS Cluster, the women and men of the SAPS, community structures, business and the private security industry to make the country safer.

Little over a month ago, I announced that National Commissioner General Khehla Sitole and I had reached an agreement about the termination of his role as national commissioner with effect from March 31.

I wish to thank General Sitole once more for his service to the nation over many years in the SAPS, and I wish him the best in his future endeavours.

Following my announcement of General Sitole’s departure, I initiated a process for the appointment of a new national commissioner of police. I did so in line with the powers entrusted to me by Section 207 of our Constitution, which directs the president to appoint a national commissioner.

The national commissioner is appointed at the level of director-general in our administration.

I appointed a selection panel to advise me on the appointment of a suitable person to lead the SAPS comprising of:

Professor Sydney Mufamadi as chairperson; Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga; Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele; Retired former commissioner of police George Fivaz;

Director-General in the Presidency Phindile Baleni;

Director-General of the National Treasury Dondo Mogajane, and

Director-General of State Security, ambassador Thembisile Majola

The selection panel was convened to draft a shortlist of candidates who would be considered for the post of national commissioner of police.

Twenty-four possible candidates – all of them currently serving as lieutenants-general or higher – were invited to apply.

Five shortlisted candidates were interviewed, with the interviews focused on the following critical competencies:

Strategic capability and leadership; Programme and project management; Financial management;

People management; Community confidence level; Change management;

Problem solving and analysis; and Integrity.

In addition to evaluating candidates on the basis of these competencies, the advisory panel assessed candidates within the broader societal, strategic, operational and reputational context of the SAPS. The panel was guided in part by the decisive role the police service has in respect of nation-building and the ongoing national efforts to strengthen democracy and entrench the rule of law. The panel also noted the need to bring the police closer to the communities they serve and to rebuild the trust relationship.

The selection process produced a select group of candidates who I can assure South Africans were equal in their commitment to making South Africa a safer place.

I thank the advisory panel for their application to this process, and I welcome the recommendations they have made on the SAPS of the future, recommendations on which we will reflect in the Cabinet and in the JCPS Cluster.

I now wish to introduce General Sehlahle Fannie Masemola as our new National Commissioner of Police. General Masemola has been a deputy police commissioner with an outstanding record of achievements in policing across South Africa.

This includes helping with the de-escalation of violence in KwaZulu-Natal after our first democratic elections in 1994. General Masemola also brings to this position his experience in drastically reducing cash-in-transit crimes in the period around 2016.

He played a leading role in co-ordinating security for all elections since and including 1994. And he led the securing of major national and international events in our country, including United Nations summits, climate conferences and the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Most recently, General Masemola served the nation as chairperson of the Natjoints on Covid19, which co-ordinated the government’s efforts across different sectors nationally and internationally to keep all of us safe.

The weight of the nation’s expectation resting on the commissioner’s shoulders will be matched only by the weight of the support government will place at the disposal of the commissioner.

A stable, capable and capacitated SAPS is our surest guarantee that our constitutional rights will not be violated by criminals.

Just as we have done with the SAPS, we will be taking further steps to restore stability to all our security structures, including filling critical vacancies in the State Security Agency and Crime Intelligence.

Commissioner, be assured of our full support and backing as the Cabinet and as the government. I want to call on the leadership as well as the rank and file of the SAPS to pledge their support to you as well. You have the weight of the nation’s expectations resting on your shoulders, but I am confident you are more than up to this task and responsibility.

I call on all South Africans to also offer our support to our new national commissioner as he assumes his duties because we can only eradicate crime if we work together.