BusinessLive reports that Gen Khehla Sitole has been appointed as the new national police commissioner by President Jacob Zuma.  

He is the first career policeman to be appointed to permanently head the police service since the advent of democracy — with the exception of George Fivas who was appointed by Nelson Mandela in 1995.  Jackie Selebi, Bheki Cele and Riah Phiyega, the other substantive commissioners, were political appointments.  Sitole has served in the SA Police Service (SAPS) for 31 years after beginning his career as a student constable during the apartheid government era.  The former divisional commissioner for protection and security services will unveil his turnaround strategy at a media briefing on Thursday.  In a statement that announced Sitole’s appointment, Zuma said the new commissioner had a wealth of operational and managerial experience and had grown through the ranks.  The unions have decried the state of the police service, saying the absence of a national commissioner was hampering units such as detectives and crime intelligence where critical posts needed to be filled.

• Read this report by Theto Mahlakoana in full at BusinessLive
• See too, Police officers wonder if they can trust this new top cop, at SowetanLive

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