DA slams police clearance failure

ALMOST three quarters of rank and file police crime intelligence staff do not have security clearance.

DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard said this was revealed in a presentation by the SAPS Crime Intelligence Division to parliament’s police portfolio committee on Wednesday.

“If Police Minister Fikile Mbalula does not tackle this crisis head on‚ South Africans will never feel safe in their homes and on the streets‚” she said yesterday.

The committee heard that three SAPS generals were denied security clearance and the clearance of a further 12 had expired; 125 SAPS generals and brigadiers failed to apply for security clearance; the clearance of more than 1 300 crime intelligence employees had expired‚ while a further 85 were denied clearance; and 6 130 members had no clearance.

“This provides a harrowing reflection of the systemic failure in leadership of the police and [crime intelligence] in the country.

“It speaks to deep divisions within the R3.54-billion CI division‚ highlighted by the fact a member who is being charged with fraudulently fabricating fake security clearance documents was about to be sent on a freebie trip to Paris‚” Kohler Barnard said.

Acting national police commissioner Lesetja Mothiba was criticised in parliament for failing to suspend a seemingly untouchable senior official accused of fraud.