EFF weighs in on Sitole’s axing – says Ramaphosa ‘fired the wrong person’

While news of National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole being removed from his post has been welcomed by many, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) do not agree with the move and say Police Minister Bheki Cele should have been the one to be shown the door.

President Cyril Ramaphosa terminated Sitole’s employment contract “by mutual agreement” with effect from 31 March 2022. Ramaphosa said this was in the best interests of the country – and that from now until the last day of his term, there will be a handover of tasks, including all ongoing investigations, to one of the senior members of the team at the SAPS that had been assisting Sitole.

The EFF says Ramaphosa fired Sitole to please Cele, whom it believes is to blame for the crisis at the South African Police Service (SAPS). From the damning report by the independent panel looking into the July riots to the recently released crime stats, there is growing concern over the state of affairs within SAPS and their ability (or lack thereof) to tackle crime in the country.

“Cele is an egotistical individual who wants to treat the entire South African Police Force like a personal inheritance, where everyone must abide by his desires. He is a character who seeks to micro manage other individuals, even those who run the bureaucracy of the Police, because he believes that he is an expert in all matters relating to security,” the red berets said.

EFF SLAMS KHEHLA SITOLE’S FIRING

It’s no secret that there is no love lost between Bheki Cele and Khehla Sitole, something which the EFF has highlighted. The party says their strained relationship had a negative impact on SAPS, particularly at the height of violent crime, cash-in-transit heists and gender-based violence.

“Ramaphosa has heeded the sound advice of the EFF and seperated the two warring individuals, whose relations had undermined efforts to fight crime in South Africa, but he has fired the wrong person. The problem in SAPS is not the Commissioner, it is the Minister”

EFF

According to the EFF, it doesn’t matter who is appointed to replace Sitole, as Cele will continue to micro manage them and render SAPS unworkable.

“The EFF maintains that Bheki Cele’s history as an administrator, by having been a Commissioner of Police places him in a position where he will always presume he knows how best to execute those duties. Cele will always overstep his role as a political head, and seek to run the administrative affairs and bureaucracy of the police even when it is not his responsibility,” the party adds.

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