MEDIA STATEMENT
BY THE
INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY
Cele Not a Suitable Candidate for Top Cop Job
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The Inkatha Freedom Party has raised its concern with reports that the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Bheki Cele, is the leading man in the race to replace former top cop, Jackie Selebi. Media reports suggest that Cele is likely to be appointed South Africa's new Commissioner of Police by President Jacob Zuma tomorrow. "The IFP believes that Cele's is not a suitable candidate for the post and that his appointment will be nothing more that a political appointment for one of President Jacob Zuma's closest allies," said Velaphi Ndlovu, the IFP's safety and security spokesperson today. Ndlovu said that the IFP had publicly voiced its support for the appointment of a senior police official to head-up the SAPS. "The IFP had hoped that the ruling party would have opted not to place a political appointee at the helm of the SAPS again. We were hopeful that government would do the right thing by appointing a career policeman or woman with a proven track record within the SAPS as South Africa's new police chief. If Cele is appointed tomorrow, government will be sending out a clear message to the people of South Africa that they are more interested in giving top jobs to ANC comrades and less concerned with tackling crime head-on," said Ndlovu. Ndlovu added that the IFP has on numerous occasions called on government to depoliticise appointments to the police force. "The IFP has argued before that one of
the major challenges facing the new Directorate of Priority
Crime Investigation (DPCI) will be to establish its autonomy,
which has been considerably reduced by its location within
police. By appointing a political head to the SAPS all optimism
and hope that the Hawks would ever be strong enough to resist
political influence and bold enough to take on anyone, anywhere,
disappears. The IFP contends that if Cele is to be appointed the
new Police Commissioner tomorrow, it will be another serious
setback for our fight against crime and another blow for our
young democracy," concluded Ndlovu. Contact:
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