Appoint new police commissioner for 'critical' Western Cape asap - provincial ANC
29 July 2019
A new permanent Western Cape police commissioner should be appointed before the end of August due to the complexities of crime in the province, ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said.
Jacobs was reacting to the announcement that Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula would be transferred to KwaZulu-Natal following a contentious few months in the province.
Lieutenant General Sindile Mfazi, the current deputy national commissioner of management advisory services, will be the acting commissioner until the position is filled permanently.
"The ANC in the Western Cape has taken note of the national commissioner of police's decision to appoint a temporary head of police in the province with effect from August 1," said Jacobs.
"We also note his undertaking that a new police commissioner will be appointed by the end of August to succeed General Khombinkosi Jula who has been transferred to KwaZulu-Natal.
"We want to urge the national commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, to make the Western Cape appointment before month-end.
"The situation in the Western Cape is critical and calls for the attention of a full-time appointee who understands the complexities of the situation here and will come with solutions."
Earlier on Monday, Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz and City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety JP Smith welcomed the move, but said policing should take priority over internal police politics.
Last week an ANC volunteer, Cynthia Stulo, was shot dead in front of her child in Valhalla Park.
Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Sibusiso Mkhwanazi, who was acting commissioner in KwaZulu-Natal will go to the head office as the divisional commissioner: operational response services (ORS), also effective from August 1.
Jula moved from the position of deputy commissioner in KwaZulu-Natal to Western Cape commissioner on February 1, 2016.
He came in the wake of the suspension of police commissioner Arno Lamoer who was sentenced to six years in jail for corruption.
Jula's transfer comes as action to reduce gang violence and violent crime was escalated with the arrival of the SA National Defence Force.
A number of police officers had also been shot during operations.
