BACSA Welcomes Appointment of New Police Commissioner

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Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA) welcomes the appointment of Bheki Cele as the new National Police Commissioner.

Siphiwe Nzimande, CEO of BACSA, says that “the police play a critical function in addressing the unacceptably high levels of crime and violence in the country. The appointment of Cele now puts a stop to the situation where the SAPS has been without a permanent national leader for 18 months. The appointment is long overdue and this is welcome.”

“Cele's appointment to the SAPS will bring new energy and vigour to the SAPS in addressing crime as a national priority. We expect that he will hit the ground running”, says Nzimande.

Cele is not a stranger to policing. He has done much in his position as MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison in KwaZulu-Natal, particularly in helping to enforce a zero-tolerance approach to road and traffic offences in the province, harnessing technologies such as the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, and driving needed anti-crime solutions. After a positive working relationship was established with Cele when he was MEC, BACSA looks forward to continuing to work with Cele in his new role as National Police Commissioner.

Commissioner Cele will have a daunting number of priorities to address when he begins work on 2 August 2009. “These include continuing with the restructuring process of the SAPS; restoring morale within the SAPS after 18 months without a permanent leader; visibly reducing the levels of serious and violent crimes; as well as aligning SAPS with the objectives to radically overhaul the performance of the Criminal Justice System (CJS), among others. Within the Justice Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster, the SAPS plays a critical role. It is hoped that Cele’s dynamism and leadership will help to drive needed change and put into place a modernised and responsive law enforcement architecture that delivers on Government’s Constitutional mandate to create a safe and secure environment that works for all, particularly the most vulnerable.”

“BACSA pledges it support to Commissioner Cele and looks forward to engaging with him in the near future to learn how the anti-crime partnership may be deepened and national priorities further supported. A strengthened and reinvigorated partnership between the SAPS and the broader community, including the business community, will assist to address crime through a collective approach that recognises that the police cannot be everywhere and that all have a role to play in stopping crime”, says Nzimande.

Read the full statement issued by the President on 29 July 2009, where President Zuma tasks the new Police Commissioner with the strengthening of partnerships with communities, including Business Against Crime South Africa, through the new partnership unit to be established within the Police Secretariat.