South Africa: Zuma suspends police commissioner

Parliament’s police committee, a vocal critic of the police commissioner, believed the suspension “was the correct approach towards to ensure proper adherence to processes related to the inquiry President Zuma established to look into the fitness of Phiyega to hold office”.

The National police commisioner, Riah Phiyega has been suspended and President Zuma appoints an acting head.

In this photo taken Thursday, July 9, 2015 national police commissioner Riah Phiyega inspects confiscated weapons prior to smelting at a metal processing plant in Vereeniging, South Africa.

We also use the this opportunity to welcome and congratulate the newly appointed Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, Mr. Glen Mashinini.

The president had written to her asking her to provide reasons why he should not suspend her pending the inquiry.

Earlier this year, a report by a government-appointed panel found evidence of poor police planning ahead of the killings near Marikana, and called for further investigation into Phiyega’s conduct.

Phiyega then requested more time to respond and Zuma gave her until the end of September, a deadline she met.

Questions ranged from what happens when a police officer does not comply with procedure, how do station and cluster commanders ensure proper management of police pocket books and what is the quality of policing that the ordinary person receives?

In a letter to Police Minister Nathi Nhleko and obtained by EWN, McBride accuses Phiyega of enabling a corrupt environment to thrive because of her failure to act against KwaZulu-Natal Commissioner Mamonye Ngobeni.

In February, McBride sent an Ipid recommendation to the national commissioner to institute disciplinary steps against several senior police officers implicated in corruption.

This was mostly blamed on lack of proper oversight of police pocket books by line managers.