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The DA welcomes the decision by the Public Service Commission (PSC) to investigate our complaint about the delay in the finalisation of the disciplinary process against suspended Head of Crime Intelligence, Richard Mdluli, and the reasons for the continued precautionary suspension.

Mduli’s suspension has been drawn out for more than six years now and Police Minister, Fikile Mbalula, has not provided any meaningful updates on the progress of the disciplinary process to date. This is completely unacceptable and the decision by the PSC to investigate the DA’s complaint is therefore all the more imperative.

Worse yet, it was just last week that a reply to a DA Parliamentary Question revealed that ‘couch potato’ Mdluli netted R8.3 million between 8 May 2011 and 30 April 2017 for being homebound while on suspension and thus while in no way helping combat crime in South Africa. It is unconscionable that this lucrative amount included a “service bonus” of more than R400 000.

Mdluli’s disciplinary proceedings have dragged on for way too long and do not represent an efficient public service administration. The DA hopes the PSC investigation will assist the South African Police Service (SAPS) in urgently speeding up and finalising its disciplinary process so that no more public money is flagrantly squandered.

Ordinary police officers face a chronic lack of resources to fight crime on a daily basis yet millions of rands of the public purse have been wasted on paying one highly connected individual, who was not fit for his job from the outset, to do absolutely nothing. This is simply not good enough.

The DA looks forward to being kept abreast of developments by the PSC regarding its investigation into the matter.

Issued by DA