Tensions within SAPS top brass not good for the country, say experts

Experts agree that the visible tensions among the top management of the police are detrimental to crime-fighting efforts.

These tensions were highlighted during hearings of the parliament’s ad hoc committee, which is investigating allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system. Counter-allegations made by some senior members of the South African Police Service indicate serious leadership problems within the organisation.

So far, the committee has heard testimony from KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola and deputy national police commissioner for crime detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya.

Sibiya has labelled the explosive press briefing held by Mkhwanazi on July 6 as a “succession battle” within the SAPS.

In the briefing, Mkhwanazi accused SAPS top officials, including Sibiya and police minister Senzo Mchunu, of interfering in police investigations.

Sibiya is implicated in the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) and the transfer of 121 dockets from KwaZulu-Natal to the SAPS head office without the knowledge of his boss, Masemola.

He is alleged to have left the dockets in his office for months to obstruct the task team’s progress and shield criminal figures.

Testifying before parliament’s ad hoc committee Sibiya said Mkhwanazi’s briefing had nothing to do with the PKTT but a succession battle within the police.

Sibiya also alleged that his relationship with Mkhwanazi turned sour at the time of the arrest of the alleged murderers of rapper Kiernan Forbes, popularly known as AKA.

Security analyst Andy Mashaile said the counter-allegations show serious issues in the police leadership that affect the police differently and significantly when it comes to the erosion of trust among police officers themselves, as well as the relationship or trust relationship between communities and police.

What is interesting is that Crime Intelligence is a bigger unit than the whole National Prosecution Authority and that is telling us a big story, namely that intelligence is more important and also the management of intelligence is probably the type where you serve leadership rather than serve the constitution and the priorities of the state.

—  Prof Andre Duvenhage, North West University

“Intelligence gathering, national security and general policing operations and policing functions will definitely be affected negatively by the relationships that have gone to the dogs between top national leadership, particularly from your crime intelligence space and also impacting and affecting the relationship between ordinary police officers at national level and the boss of police in South Africa, the national commissioner,” he said.

He said the relationship between Sibiya and Masemola has irretrievably broken down, as well as that between Sibiya and Mkhwanazi.

“Now you can imagine if the deputy national commissioner has operations in the other eight provinces but not an operation planned for the KZN province because of the sour relationship between himself and the provincial commissioner. It is going to impact crime prevention, crime combating and crime detection in KZN negatively,” he said.

North West University political analyst Prof Andre Duvenhage said there can be no doubt that there are huge differences professionally, ideologically and ethically at the highest levels of the SAPS.

Duvenhage notes that this is clearly seen in the conflicting testimonies of Sibiya and Mkhwanazi.

“I will also put Masemola closer to Mkhwanazi. I believe, however, that Sibiya has a critical link that is going to Senzo Mchunu and others, and I have no doubt that they have support within the ranks.” he said.

What is also interesting is that the critical component is Crime Intelligence, which has information about what is going on.

Duvenhage added that the position of Crime Intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo is highly critical, and he is not surprised that Khumalo fell ill, as this is likely to have an impact on, or at least influence, the testimony coming from that particular sector.

“What is interesting is that Crime Intelligence is a bigger unit than the whole National Prosecution Authority and that is telling us a big story, namely that intelligence is more important and also the management of intelligence is probably the type where you serve leadership rather than serve the constitution and the priorities of the state,” Duvenhage said.

Mashaile notes that the relationship between the committee and Sibiya, in responding to the questions, led to the committee profiling his conduct and declaring it shifty.

“It came as a result of what they say were long-winded answers and ultimately being evasive in responding to the questions that he asked. And now this suggests that the testimony provided by Gen Sibiya is seen in a negative light because of shiftiness or evasiveness and the combative stance, like in the event where he took [David Mandla] Skosana of MK Party head on and all others,” Mashaile said.

He said the committee’s reception to Sibiya’s response suggests that if a vote were to be cast by members of the ad hoc committee, 90%, if not all, would vote against Sibiya in any decision-making.

Mashaila said these are some of the issues that would harm the fight against crime and efforts to repair the relationships between Sibiya and Mkhwanazi, as well as between Sibiya and Masemola, including matters involving Khumalo.

“There will never be a relationship, and once there’s no relationship in those four critical stakeholders, the element and the issue of crime prevention is going to be severely compromised, as we have seen in the last few days,” Mashaila said.

Duvenhage believes Sibiya was not that straightforward.

“He was, according to my assessment, sidestepping many of the crucial issues, referring to things that if Mkhwanazi said what he said under other circumstances, he would have been fired. I think he’s more prepared to play the man than to play the ball, and to me that is to a certain extent, concerning,” he said.

He believes that there is going to be new information.

“This will also create its own tensions and or conflict, and I must tell you that the fact that people are testifying under oath but under names like X and so on is an indication that people are not prepared to testify in a free manner, and I don’t believe that the government can safeguard their position one way or another, so that must be a huge concern,” Duvenhage said.

Meanwhile, police minister Senzo Mchunu, who is on special leave, is set to appear before the committee on Thursday.