Riah Phiyega's appointment as national police commissioner is another of President Jacob Zuma's bungles and a slap in the face for real, seasoned police personnel ("Give me a chance", June 15).

What is the point of law officers spending many years dedicating and risking their lives to learn surveillance and arrest procedures, combat drugs and homicide, control crowds and riots, sit exams, do firearms training and suffer slow and low pay escalations and family disruptions, only to be passed up for a pen-pushing bookworm who can do a bit of maths?

Small wonder the genuine, honourable law servers leave the force and the country in droves for more appreciative industries or greener pastures.

The only way Zuma can avoid shooting himself with this one is if Phiyega loads the gun and fires it herself - she probably won't be able to load or fire the gun anyway.

It won't be long before Phiyega is added to the list of commissioners who got the wrong first-class ticket on the government's gravy train, missed the station and is paid millions to vacate to make space for the next Zuma friend-of-the-month.

What happened to promoting from the ranks? That's how it should be, and how it is done in properly run countries.