Farewell, Riah Phiyega

FAREWELL, Riah Phiyega, farewell.

Whether we like it or not, the suspended national police commissioner will not get her job back. Many have been calling for her head and I think many are already rejoicing.

But South Africans should be concerned. The shameful departure of national police commissioners in the recent past is a little worrying.

Are we sure that the next national police commissioner will not be forced to resign four years later, under similar circumstances?

It was not long ago that South Africans said adieu to former commissioner Jackie Selebi, who was asked to leave pending a corruption court case. And his successor, Bheki Cele, was also forced to leave because of corruption allegations against him.

And of course we are gearing up for the moment when the political world says goodbye forever to Phiyega. The country is waiting for her to resign or be dismissed.

In October this year, President Jacob Zuma suspended Phiyega with immediate effect following allegations of misconduct.

At the time, Zuma said Phiyega's suspension would hinge on the decision reached by a board of inquiry after a probe into the allegations against her.

This was a recommendation from the Farlam Commission of Inquiry which investigated the 2010 Marikana massacre, including police conduct.

However, damning accusations against her emerged this week. Police Minister Nathi Nhleko found the suspended police head guilty of misconduct and committing perjury, as well as bringing the South African Police Service (Saps) into disrepute.

Nhleko’s comments were based on the findings of a ministerial reference group into her fitness to hold office. He claims national commissioners were removed without being consulted and given lower ranks.

Phiyega's conduct also led to financial loss to Saps, while she treated senior police officers with prejudice.

According to the reference group, Phiyega caused Saps to suffer reputational damage as well as financial loss through avoidable litigation.

After four years in her job, I see no evidence of an improvement in the police service compared to what it has been under previous police commissioners. In fact, things have worsened.

More than 50 police officers have been killed since the beginning of this year.

And police brutality has increased in recent weeks. One case in point is the brutal killing of a man by police officers in the West Rand in a case captured on CCTV. The police officers are now facing murder charges.

Phiyega won’t be around to worry - if she ever did worry in the first place - about these matters any more. Or the coming crisis over how to fix the low morale of the police force, among other things.

Phiyega won’t care, I suppose. She’ll be back in Limpopo where she hails from, peacefully carving the turkey this Christmas.

She is out of the force. It should not only be that; the accusations are serious.

She has to face the courts and get the harshest punishment possible.

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Mzwandile Jacks is a freelance journalist. Opinions expressed are his own.