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The South African Policing Union would like to send a stern warning to national police commissioner General Khehla Sitole that his latest action on the South African Police Service top management is totally unacceptable. His appointment of unqualified Deputy National Commissioners is a major cause for concern.

SAPU is of the firm view that the national police commissioner is using patronage to award loyalists instead of using capacity to appoint top management members. General Sitole has controversially appointed individuals like Lt. Gen.

Jacob Tsumane as the deputy national commissioner for Crime Detection and promoted Major General to Lieutenant- General Ntombenhle Vuma to deputy national commissioner Management Advisory Services, from a distance these appointments might sound progressive and deserving only to find that these are just part of the patronage network the general is maintaining in the police service.

SAPU would also like to express its concerns about what seem to be the rewarding of Brigadier Mahlalela as a Staff Officer in the office of the national commissioner. Brigadier Mahlalela was part of former national police commissioner Riah Phiyega’s team. These controversial appointments are a recipe for disaster. We would not like a situation where the already bloated top management of the SAPS has to deal with instability within.

We call upon Gen. Sitole to seriously consider engaging with organized labour into this time bomb. We were hoping that Gen. Sitole’s appointment with Police Minister Bheki Cele will take the fight against crime to greater heights. There are more deserving Police Generals who can take the SAPS forward. SAPU is not calling for favours, we demand
 
fairness and justice. To reward loyalists with senior and influential positions will not assist the SAPS.
 
It seems as if Gen. Sitole is taking the same route that Phiyega took when she side-lined and eventually dismissed deserving Generals like Godfrey Lebeya and Mofomme out of the SAPS.

Issued by SAPU