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On the eve of the announcement of a new National Police Commissioner, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on President Zuma to appoint a candidate that has the requisite experience and expertise in safety and security matters, is a leader, acts independently, and has the right work skills and a history of ethical conduct.

The ANC would be allowing history to repeat itself by deploying a cadre to the post of national police commissioner, rather than the most qualified person for the job. President Zuma must bear in mind when making this decision that Jackie Selebi, a former ANC Member of Parliament with no policing background, made for a terrible National Commissioner. Mr. Selebi's reign had disastrous effects on the state of safety and security in our country. Apart from the ongoing corruption scandal dogging Mr Selebi, he has made some appalling decisions that demonstrate his complete lack of police expertise, and instinct towards political meddling. A good example of this was his decision to get rid of specialist Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units, which has had such a severe impact upon detective work and victim support in those particular areas that Minister Mthethwa has recently had to announce a policy u-turn on that matter.

Right now there is a field of candidates for the post, and some of these candidates are irredeemably compromised by their political biases or lack of policing expertise. One of Selebi's speculated successors stands out in this regard. Appointing Provincial Commissioner Mzwandile Petros would be allowing history to repeat itself. Petros has a history of operating in an ethically dubious, politically compromised manner:

· In 2004, Commissioner Petros banned his communications officers at police stations from reporting crime to the media, and accused the media of a "psychosis of fear, despair and distrust in the authorities".

· The Cape High Court found in September 2008 that there existed a "grave suspicion" that Commissioner Petros had as his objective the "furthering of the interests of the ANC in the Western Cape, in a partisan manner", given his conduct during the now-infamous Erasmus Commission.

Put simply, the South African public deserve better - they deserve a police commissioner who will act in the interests of all South Africans, and not the narrow political interests of the ANC.

The South African Police Service has fallen into disarray as a result of a lack of competent leadership. At the last count, 52 people are murdered each day. Last year there were 6,119 complaints against the police - up from 5,830 in 2007. Backlogs in our forensic science laboratories are stymieing cases, while rogue units like the VIP Protection Unit urgently need to be reigned in. South Africa desperately needs a Commissioner who will take action to resolve these pressing problems.

When President Zuma makes his decision, the DA calls on him to put party politics aside and make a non-partisan decision, based on merit and expertise.

The ideal candidate must have vast experience in the police service and expertise in safety and security. The new appointee must be independent. The appointee must possess excellent leadership qualities and excellent work skills. It is vitally important that the new National Police Commissioner has a history of ethical conduct. These qualities would allow the new National Police Commissioner to hit the ground running and get the work done - work that has been left neglected for far too long.