Editorial
Johannesburg - There are concerns being raised about the appointment of South Africa’s latest police commissioner, General Sehlahle Fannie Masemola.
He was one of five in contention in a process that was shrouded in secrecy but, at least, had a panel of experts who knew what they were doing rather than furthering their own political agendas, unlike the recent Judicial Service Commission meeting for the country’s chief justiceship.
There are many top positions in South African society that are regarded as poisoned chalices, but the most senior policing job is perhaps the most toxic of them all. We live in the most unequal country in the world, with record unemployment.
It is a country where crime does pay – if we look at the social media accounts of some of the wealthiest and most powerful people. It is a country where there is little accountability for criminals who do get caught. It is also a country where crime is often the difference between going to bed hungry or not.
Masemola inherits a massive team of police officers and support staff, many of whom are disaffected by the factionalisation of the service over the past 10 years; mortified and dispirited by the corruption – or are corrupt themselves. Many will want him to fail.
He is the sixth permanent national commissioner since the dawn of democracy in 1994, but the record belies the fact that there have been three acting commissioners during the same period. More pertinently, none of the permanent commissioners (with the exception of George Fivaz) finished their term.
South Africans are crying out for proper leadership in the war against crime – there hasn’t been any to speak about. That’s Masemola’s challenge – just do the job and get his cops to do theirs.
We sincerely hope he will.