SAPS committee head warns Shadrack Sibiya’s resignation must not end accountability
Calls grow for competency and lifestyle audits among police management following the departure of a senior officer ahead of disciplinary action.
Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police Chairperson Ian Cameron has called on the SAPS to investigate any alleged criminal conduct involving Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya and to pursue charges where warranted.
Cameron warned that Sibiya’s departure from the police service must not shield him from accountability, welcoming the resignation as a step towards restoring integrity within the SAPS.
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“The committee has always highlighted that rogue elements must be surgically removed from the system to enable it to operate effectively. The resignation on the eve of a disciplinary process points to the fact that he had something to be afraid of,” Cameron said.
Broader reforms needed
The committee chairperson said the departure should serve as a catalyst for broader SAPS reforms, including competency and lifestyle audits at senior management level to strengthen accountability.
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“A country that has police officers who are criminally compromised cannot effectively fight crime.
Unfortunately, the inability to fight crime has broader socioeconomic implications for the country, affecting everyone, particularly the poor,” he said.
Troubling practices exposed
Cameron also commended the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System for exposing troubling practices within the police.
He stressed that Sibiya’s discharge must not end efforts to secure accountability, calling for any potential criminal conduct to be thoroughly investigated and for appropriate legal action to follow where warranted.
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