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Premier drags his feet on filling critical Safety Department post

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Dear MyPE

The Department of Safety and Liaison has not had a permanent Head of Department for a year and a half, as the Eastern Cape Premier, Phumulo Masualle, is dilly-dallying with regards to filling the post.

Shamefully the Premier has apparently deemed it unnecessary to have someone in charge of the Department, responsible for oversight of the South African Police Service and Community Policing in the Eastern Cape.

Failure to fill this position for a year and a half shows just how out of touch Premier Masualle is with the high rate of crime in this province.

In response to a parliamentary question, MEC for Safety and Liaison, Weziwe Tikana, confirmed that the former head of department, Ms Mosehana, had requested termination of her services in December 2016. Her application was finally approved by the Premier on the 17th of February last year.

Since then, the post has been standing vacant, with MEC Tikana indicating that Masualle, who is responsible for the process of filling the posts for HODs, has not given his approval to fill the post.

It would appear the Premier is unsure if safety should be a fully-fledged department.

What Safety and Liaison urgently needs is a champion right at the top who has the strength of character to hold SAPS accountable and who can give leadership when it comes to the vigorous oversight of SAPS.

I will be raising this matter further in the legislature during the upcoming sitting.

A DA-led provincial government will ensure that the right people are speedily appointed in key positions. This will result in the South African Police Service being held accountable and becoming an honest and professional organisation that actually serves and protects all South Africans.

Regards

Bobby Stevenson

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Port Elizabethan

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