A team player who represents everything SA needs in a police boss and wears his badge with pride.
This is why General Fannie Masemola landed the job of SA’s top cop, according to Dr Sydney Mufamadi, who chaired the committee that interviewed and recommended him to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Mufamadi who was initially reluctant to speak to Sowetan last night, said Masemola showed that he recognises the responsibility that comes with occupying the position of police commissioner.
“Masemola is a team player who understands that the position he's being appointed into is a position of service. He wears the badge with pride and understands the responsibility that comes with wearing the badge,” Mufamadi said.
He said Masemola by far “represented everything that the public is looking for in someone to lead the police service”.
Mufamadi, a former minister of safety and security, said the issue of safety and security is a matter of national concern that shouldn't be turned into a game and needed to be overseen by those who understood the responsibility, like Masemola.
Masemola, who has been with the police for more than three decades, takes over from Gen Khehla Sitole who had a strenuous tenure rocked by an increase in crime and the July 2021 riots. He also faced a damning Supreme Court of Appeal judgment and a breakdown in the working relationship with police minister Bheki Cele.
Former colleagues of Masemola have described him as a “nice and soft-spoken” but decisive and strong policeman.
Johan Booysens, the former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head who worked in the same office as Masemola, told Sowetan that he sent Masemola a congratulatory message while pointing out that he would be facing a “daunting task”.
Booysens said he believed that Masemola would do well. He said Masemola had displayed impeccable leadership when he was involved with the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
“Those are big events and Masemola is not a person that panics. When some people face a crisis, they panic but not Masemola,” Booysens said.
“What's good about him is that he's a career policeman who came through the ranks and understands the dynamics of policing.”
Institute for Security Studies policing consultant Dr Johan Burger, who has also known Masemola during his days with the police, described the new top cop as a quiet but vastly experienced policeman who's more operational than his predecessor.
“He's one of those quietly spoken people who doesn't speak for the sake of saying things. He's one of those almost reserved people who listens more than he speaks,” Burger said.
Burger said when Masemola opened his mouth to say something he always gets people to listen as he also possesses a strong personality.
“Don't be misled by the fact that he's soft-spoken, he is a good leader with a strong personality and decisive, that's why I expect many things to change within the police service,” Burger said.
“He has served at every level in the police from the police station. He's been in the police for more than 35 years... gaining experience and exposure and that gives him all the necessary experience for this position.”
Corruption Watch head of stakeholder relations and campaigns Kavisha Pillay said the organisation was not happy that the appointment of Masemola as new police boss lacked transparency.
"We are happy with some of the steps taken by president Ramaphosa in his appointment but we are concerned with the lack of transparency and public participation.
“While it was a good move to appoint an independent panel... the steps taken by the president have been quite retrogressive when you look at other appointments he made during his term such as the head of NPA, Sars commissioner, chief justice. There were independent panels, transparency and public participation was encouraged during the processes,” she said.
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