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The South African Policing Union calls upon President Jacob Zuma to rescue police minister Fikile Mbalula who is battling to lead the police department by urgently appointing a permanent national police commissioner. The call by the minister for the deployment of the army in the Western Cape and Gauteng is an acknowledgement of the failure of the police to curb organized crime in these provinces.

This is an indictment that the police have lost the battle against organized crime in the Western Cape and Gauteng. If the police minister agrees that the police cannot deal with organized crime in these provinces what will make a difference in other provinces.  SAPU feels the problem in policing in South Africa starts at management level.

The lack of permanent leadership in the police in critical components like there is no permanent national police commissioner, there is no permanent divisional commissioner of the crime intelligence is a recipe for disaster.

We had hoped that President Jacob Zuma will act swiftly immediately after the term of contract of the then national commissioner Riah Phiyega had expired to appoint a permanent national commissioner of the police. It is clear to us now that we will have to accept this situation of acting heads until at least the political direction of the country is clear in December.

We are not opposed to the deployment of the army in volatile situations in principle however the reality soldiers are to a larger extend trained to kill. They work excellently in war situations. The organized crime situation in the Western Cape and Gauteng has not reached a level that is beyond police control. The unfortunate reality is the police has no leadership at all level. The police are under auto pilot now.

Issued by South African Policing Union