The Ministry of Police has noted with concern the recent misleading remarks by a Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament around the lifting of the moratorium on recruitment of police reservists.
In a statement this week, Ms Dianne Kohler-Barnard accuses the Secretariat for Police of overruling the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa's decision to lift the moratorium on the recruitment of reservists.
Ms Kohler-Barnard said the minister's decisions are being undermined by his very own secretariat. To justify this claim, she quotes the following: "despite the answer given in Parliament and the subsequent media statement by the minister, a decision has been taken by visible policing and personnel that recruiting and even reinstatement of ex-members will remain on hold".
Her assertion is indeed a very strange way of interpreting the foregoing quotation. The quotation says "a decision has been taken by visible policing," and does not in any way mention the Secretariat for Police. It is after all, that jolly season of political grandstanding and political point scoring. Therefore one can reliably expect the Democratic Alliance to attribute decisions purportedly taken by one institution to the other.
The DA's attempt to sabotage the work of the ministry is a fruitless exercise which represents pure political opportunism. Considering the DA's political bankruptcy, it is however not surprising that they would seek to create this unnecessary confusion, by undermining a legitimate operational process without first verifying the facts.
For the public's benefit, the Secretary for Police, Ms Jenni Irish-Qhobosheane does not head visible policing and it would therefore have been operationally improper for her to take such a decision.
The moratorium on the employment of reservists has been lifted, as per the minister's reply to a parliamentary question and a subsequent statement issued to the public (10 December 2009).
Instead of contributing to the Civilian Secretariat for Police Bill that is currently before Parliament, the DA chooses to engage in myopic views which can only serve to create confusion.
This legislation would enhance and empower the secretariat to perform its functions with regard to policy development, civilian oversight, accountability and re-enforcing the ministry's approach to partnerships with its stakeholders.
For enquiries, please contact:
Zweli Mnisi
Cell: 082 045 4024
