Cape Town, June 14 (ANI): The South African Police Union has condemned the appointment of new woman police commissioner Mangwashi Victoria Phiyega citing lack of police experience.
"We were of the opinion that the president would [have] learnt that non-police officers have not made any good national police commissioners," The Guardian quoted union's general secretary, Oscar Skommere, as saying.
"The continued imposition of others in the top SAPS [SA Police Service] office is not only an insult to tens of deserving officers, but it also demoralises them," he said.
Johan Burger, a former high-ranking officer who is now a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, accused the ANC for appointing police commissioners on the basis of allegiance to the party rather than their ability to fight crime.
"It's wasn't even about race: there were some very talented and experienced black and coloured police officers but they chose to appoint someone from the governing party. Once you appoint them, then they make similarly poor appointments," Burger said.
South African President Jacob Zuma had announced the country's first female police chief.
Mangwashi Victoria Phiyega, who will take charge of one of the toughest assignments in South Africa, is a former social worker with a corporate background and diploma from the University of Wales.
It is believed that she is also the saviour of the nation's corruption-riddled, scandal-plagued police service.
Phiyega's appointment has been considered as a breakthrough and praised by the women's wing of the governing African National Congress.
"We believe having a strong woman at the helm of the police service will bring a renewed focus to overcoming the scourge of gender-based violence, such as rape, which has become a growing concern across the country," ANC spokesperson Troy Martens said. (ANI)
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