ANA reports that the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Sunday that a reply to a parliamentary question showed that National Police Commissioner Khehla Sitole was seemingly promoting individuals to "bloat" his office at a rapid rate.  

"More worryingly, this is being done in a manner that is not transparent at all and underscores the DA's position that the professionalisation of the police service will only be possible when there are transparent, competitive, and merit-based appointment and promotion processes in the South African Police Service (SAPS) as a matter of course," DA spokesman Zakhele Mbhele said.  He pointed out that the DA had previously requested that Police Minister Bheki Cele should urgently repeal regulation 45(1)(n) of the SAPS employment regulations due to the continued abuse which had seen successive national police commissioners promoting individuals who might not be fit-for-purpose.  The regulation provides that the national commissioner, with the concurrence of the minister, may promote an employee into a post without advertising the post and without following the prescribed selection process, if there were exceptional circumstances.  “Since Sitole took office, he has used regulation 45 to promote 16 SAPS members.  At this rapid rate, it would mean that Sitole is promoting four members per month," Mbhele noted.

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