Solidarity again expressed its disappointment about the way the SAPS wasted tax money in its pursuit of racial representation. Dirk Groenewald, Head of Solidarity’s Centre for Fair Labour Practices, said that it was clear that National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega was continuously repeating the SAPS’s mistakes. “Solidarity has successfully tackled various other similar cases against the SAPS. Despite this, the SAPS blindly continues with its flawed racial transformation process. Commissioner Phiyega’s actions are diametrically opposed to the principles already decided in the Supreme Court of Appeal in the Renate Barnard case,” Groenewald said.
Dirk Groenewald said that despite the fact that a selection panel found Lt Col Arendt to be the best candidate for any of three vacant positions, he was rejected because of his race, since white men were apparently overrepresented in that specific department.
The panel that evaluated Lt Col Arendt for these positions found that although his appointment would not have promoted employment equity, it would definitely have promoted service delivery in the department. The panel informed the National Commissioner, Riah Phiyega, that Arendt’s appointment would promote service delivery since he fully understood the operations of that specific department.
However, Commissioner Phiyega decided that Lt Col Arendt’s appointment would not promote employment equity in the department and therefore requested that the positions be advertised again. “With this urgent interdict against the police, Solidarity wants to prevent the SAPS from filling the only remaining vacant position of the three for which Lt Col Arendt had applied, and it wants to prevent further unfair discrimination against Lt Col Arendt,” Groenewald said.
