Deputy police minister Polly Boshielo has raised concern about the working relationship between suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu and national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola, saying their issues have had an impact on the operational effectiveness of the SAPS.
Testifying before parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system, Boshielo said she and her fellow deputy police minister Cassel Mathale felt compelled to intervene.
After a media briefing by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on July 6, the two deputy ministers convened a meeting with Mchunu and Masemola, urging them to resolve their differences.
“The four of us met and we communicated that we could see there’s a problem between the two of you. Can you please fix this issue because it was affecting us?”
According to Boshielo, the main source of tension is centred on communication protocols. She noted that the minister and the commissioner frequently communicated through letters, rather than engaging in face-to-face discussions.
“We asked the minister and the national commissioner that, when working together, they should hold a meeting at least once a week, rather than relying solely on written letters.”
She clarified, however, that while the relationship involves differences of opinion, it should be characterised as a normal working relationship rather than a “toxic environment”.
She drew a parallel to the nature of political debate in parliament, saying: “In terms of a toxic environment, it was simply like any normal working relationship, similar to the exchanges we have in parliament with the opposition, where we have strong disagreements. This is not rooted in personal enmity but in the fact that we often differ on matters.”
On December 31, Mchunu sent a directive letter to Masemola concerning the disbandment of the political killings task team without prior consultation.
Boshielo highlighted internal disputes among the SAPS leadership, saying there are strained relations between deputy national police commissioner for crime detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya and Masemola and Mkhwanazi.
“We asked the minister to meet them and ensure they find each other so that we could be able to work collectively, as we did not wish to choose a faction to be a part of; we wanted an operational SAPS.”
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