Nonprofit organisation Corruption Watch and policy think tank Institute for Security Studies have launched a joint public awareness campaign which seeks to promote transparency and public participation in the upcoming appointments of the South African Police Service (Saps) national commissioner and the head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, the Hawks.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, Corruption Watch director David Lewis said that the main objective of the campaign was the setting up of a transparent appointment process that allows public participation, backed by clear merit based criteria as recommended by the National Development Plan (NDP).

Both organisations have reviewed the previous appointment processes, which resulted in the employment of highly unsuitable candidates. 

To avoid a similar outcome with these current positions, the organisations recommend a revised, more efficient and transparent appointment process.

They recommend, further, that Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula establish a police leadership selection panel, with advice from the Civilian Secretariat for Police and the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Police.

They also suggest that “objective individuals” should be included on the panel to fairly review candidates in relation to set criteria. These individuals could include a retired police general, an expert in criminal and police law, representatives from Treasury and the Public Service Commission, and an ethics expert.

Lewis pointed out that South Africa had a strong legal foundation, an independent judiciary and a robust media and civil society. However, he noted that impunity – the ability of wealthy and politically connected individuals “to get away with their evil deeds” – was the reason for high levels of corruption. 

“This is a direct consequence of years of incompetence and corruption in the senior leadership of the Saps and the Hawks, as well as other Saps units such as crime intelligence.  This campaign is aimed at addressing this problem and, with sufficient public support, it could be a game changer in the battle against corruption,” Lewis stated.

He added that President Jacob Zuma should be barred from the appointment processes as he was implicated in corruption scandals.

ISS Justice and Violence Prevention Programme head Gareth Newham said the appointments of the police commissioner and Hawks head were vital to curb crime in the country.

He stated that the Saps had the budget, technology and police officers with the experience and ability to tackle organised crime and improve public safety.

Newham revealed that over the last five years there has been a 20% increase in murders and an almost 32% increase in armed robberies. 

Further, corruption in government and the private sector was rampant, and he attributed this to the President’s appointment of people without the requisite skills, expertise, experience and integrity for key criminal justice positions.

“[These appointments] will have a profound and fundamental impact on whether we will see the reversal of corruption or an increase in what we are dealing with in the country. It is not rocket science to deal with corruption in the country. Government should implement what was outlined in the NDP,” he said.

People appointed in these positions should have a clear understanding of policing, Newham added.

CONSULT THE CONSTITUTION
Western Cape Police Ombudsman advocate Vusi Pikoli said the Constitution needed to be consulted in cases such as high profile appointments.

“We need to internalise it and make it a living document. It is very relevant as we discuss these appointments. We are equally concerned as people who are being policed. We have had a recent not-so-nice experience with the appointment of former Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza because constitutional values were not considered when he was appointed,” he suggested.

Pikoli, who is the former head of the National Prosecuting Authority, assured that the campaign launch was not meant to “water down on the President” specifically, with legal matters concerning that individual being dealt with according to due process. Rather he noted with shock that since 1994 South Africa has had eight police commissioners and eight National Directors of Public Prosecutions.