Expert: Mchunu must restore public confidence in police
Independent policing expert Dr Johan Burger says new Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu will need to implement measures to improve the credibility of the South African Police Service.
Mchunu was moved from the Department of Water and Sanitation to Police by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday.
He succeeds Bheki Cele in the portfolio.
Burger believes Mchunu cannot win the fight against crime unless he increases the legitimacy of the police.
"Police have lost a lot of credibility over the last twenty years, as shown in several surveys carried out in the last two decades.
"This minister is going to take up his office, not just to continue where his predecessor left off. He has to understand that his main responsibility would be to restore public confidence in the police and police legitimacy.”
Earlier this year, the Human Sciences Research Council found that Gauteng residents have the least amount of trust in police officers.
The council said that over the 25 years of its existence, the trust between communities and the police has always been low.
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