Appalling lack of police leadership
NO one doubts the importance of good leadership in the fight against corruption and this has been a dominating theme in the campaigning for municipal elections, now only hours away for the Nelson Mandela Bay metro.
What hits the headlines more often, however, is the scourge of poor leadership and it is shocking that not one, but two senior city police leaders have been accused of abusing their positions of power in decidedly unethical ways.
Yesterday, The Herald reported on an investigation into the head of the elite Port Elizabeth flying quad, relating to the possible misuse of state vehicles by Lieutenant-Colonel Godfrey Kunge.
As head of this key police unit, Kunge must be aware of the need to take care of state resources. The Herald has reported on the acute shortage of vehicles at the Flying Squad and only five are on the road right now.
While the probe into Kunge is still under way it would be premature to speculate on the outcome of these charges. However, colleagues also report that Kunge is fetched and carried in a high-performance police vehicle to go to and from work, giving his subordinates unnecessary extra work and clocking up mileage on the vehicles.
Kunge is not the only high-profile Bay police leader accused of unethical behaviour. Only last month, the police were asked to investigate Major-General Dawie Rabie following allegations of domestic violence at his home.
As if that allegation was not bad enough, it was further alleged that Rabie interfered in the criminal probe, ordering officers to get a withdrawal statement from his wife.
These are shocking allegations and, if they turn out to be true, an appalling example of how to lead.
If the top brass bends the law to its own advantage it sends an extremely bad message to staff: “do as I say not do as I do”.
If those to whom the city entrusts law enforcement cannot be respected, what chance is there of their staff, far less that of the general public, having full confidence in them?
What happened to leading by example?