Search for Cape new police chief

Published Oct 6, 2015

Share

Cape Town - As national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega confirmed on Monday that the contract of embattled Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer would not be renewed as the province’s top cop, highly-placed sources have revealed the front runners for Lamoer’s successor.

Five high-ranking police officers have been tipped as contenders.

They include Major-General Sharon Japhta, Major-General Jeremy Vearey, Major-General Thembisile Patekile, Major-General Peter Jacobs and Lieutenant-General Simon Mpembe.

On Monday, national police spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale confirmed that Lamoer’s contract as commissioner in the province would not be renewed.

“Yes the contract won’t be renewed.

“A decision has not been taken re a replacement,” he said.

Makgale added that Lamoer’s “contract will lapse in two months”.

Lamoer was suspended after being accused of having a corrupt relationship with Cape Town businessman Mohammed Saleem Dawjee.

Lamoer, along with Dawjee, Brigadier Darius van der Ross and police couple, brigadiers Sharon and Kolindren Govender faces more than 100 charges including corruption, racketeering and money laundering.

Lamoer and his co-accused will stand trial in the Western Cape High Court later this month after they appeared for a pre-trial hearing in August.

Lamoer declined to comment on Monday on the matter of his contract not being renewed, and referred all questions to Phiyega’s office.

Sources say Vearey and Japhta are in the frame as favourites to succeed Lamoer.

Vearey is the former station commander of Mitchells Plain.

He is currently the head of the Anti-Gang Strategy in the Western Cape.

Under his leadership, the police in the province have broken the back of gangs and have secured successful convictions.

Japhta served as Lamoer’s deputy until recently before she was redeployed elsewhere in the country.

Patekile, the current acting provincial commissioner, has been doing an admirable job of trying to interface with communities like Masiphumelele, where residents have recently chosen to resort to mob justice – with fatal consequences.

Jacobs is also in the frame on account of him being one of the most highly ranked officers as the head of provincial crime intelligence.

But a source also said last night that Phiyega’s office may decide to opt for a candidate from outside the Western Cape.

Simon Mpembe is currently the police commissioner of the Free State but spent a lot of his time in the Western Cape earlier in his career.

On Monday, Community Policing Forum cluster head Hanif Loonat said the decision not to renew Lamoer’s contract was the right one and levels of crime had escalated over the last five years under Lamoer’s watch.

Loonat said there were many senior officers in the province whose sense of impartiality could be brought into question.

“Our strategies are outdated and they are polluted due to people having agendas.

“It only became reinforced and more imbedded during the last five years.”

None of those named by sources as potential successors for Lamoer would offer comment on them being linked with the top policing job in the province on Monday.

[email protected]

Cape Argus

Related Topics: