SAPU says it feels vindicated after Ramaphosa address
Ramaphosa announced that Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu has been placed on special leave, while a judicial inquiry has been appointed to probe wide-ranging allegations of political interference, collusion, and infiltration in the South African Police Service (SAPS).
FILE: President Cyril Ramaphosa during a national address. Picture: GCIS
JOHANNESBURG - The South African Policing Union (SAPU) said it feels vindicated following President Cyril Ramaphosa's address on Sunday night.
Ramaphosa announced that Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu has been placed on special leave, while a judicial inquiry has been appointed to probe wide-ranging allegations of political interference, collusion, and infiltration in the South African Police Service (SAPS).
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KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made these claims during a media briefing last Sunday.
"As SAPU, we have been vindicated because two weeks back, we called for a commission of inquiry to look into the status of what is happening at the crime intelligence and yesterday, the president then announced the establishment of a commission of inquiry, which we clearly do welcome,” said SAPU's Lesiba Thobakgale.
Wits law professor and former Gauteng Safety and Security MEC Firoz Cachalia will act in Mchunu's position from August.
"The appointment of the acting minister, we believe that as he is an academic, he is a professor, he would not want to compromise himself when it comes to issues of political interference, and we will give him our support as SAPU."
Thobakgale has also welcomed Mchunu's placement on special leave.
"The commission of inquiry wouldn't proceed quite well with him remaining being a minister and as an executive decision maker in the police in this regard. Him being placed now on special leave, we welcome that because those allegations against him are serious."