‘Congratulations' to Commissioner Phiyega on four medals for ‘outstanding service'

24 October 2014

The DA hereby congratulates the National Police Commissioner, Riah Phiyega, for the four medals she has received for her excellent contribution to the police. 

The DA received a reply to a parliamentary question revealing that Commissioner Phiyega received 4 medals from former Police Minister, Nathi Mthethwa. 

These medals included:

1. A SAPS 10-year Commemoration Award. The DA congratulates Commissioner Phiyega for the amazing feat of earning this medal in her 2 years of service. No one else would have been able to pull off 10 years of excellence in 2 short years. 

2. A Gold Medal for outstanding service. The DA applauds Nathi Mthethwa for his excellent judgment in awarding this medal to the Police Commissioner. With crime rates on the rise, Marikana, police brutality, mall robberies escalating out of control, thousands of convicted criminals in the SAPS and many other issues still outstanding, one can clearly see how the Commissioner's ‘excellent service' has affected the SAPS. With wise decisions such as this one, it is a mystery why President Zuma had Nathi Mthethwa demoted to the Arts and Culture Portfolio. 

3. The World Cup 2010 Support Award for Officers who worked on the World Cup. This is arguably Riah Phiyega's greatest achievement. It is incredible that she was able to earn this award given that the World Cup took place a full two years before the Commissioner even joined the Police. 

4. An amalgamation medal for the 11 police agencies that were amalgamated into one service in 1994. This is extremely well done given that this, too, far preceded her time at the SAPS by 18 years.

But we think Riah Phiyega can do even more for her country. 

I will personally bestow a fifth medal on Riah Phiyega on one condition: If she agrees to resign, we will provide her with a DA-sponsored patriotic duty award. Surely, having reached such heights at the SAPS, the time has now come for the Police Commissioner to step aside and give the next person a chance. That would be a patriotic act worthy of celebrating with a medal. 

Of course, I will also be submitting further Parliamentary questions to the Police Minister to determine exactly how it is that the Police Commissioner was able to win these medals. It's almost too good to be true. 

Text of the parliamentary reply:

36/1/4/1/201400202

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO 1669

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 17-2014)

1669.     Ms D Kohler (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:

(a) How many medals did the National Police Commissioner wear at the 2014 National Police Remembrance Day, (b) what was each medal awarded for and (c) who awarded each medal to the specified person?

NW2030E

REPLY:

(a)  Four (4),

(b)  - SAPS, Gold medal for outstanding service

-  SAPS, 10 year commemoration

- Amalgamation

-  Soccer world cup 2010 support

(c)  Medals were awarded by the former Minister of Police

Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, DA Shadow Minister of Police, October 24 2014

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