Rehana Rossouw
THERE’S a new way of describing women who challenge male domination at Safety and Security headquarters in Pretoria: the women are told they are “doing a
The Zelda being referred to is Zelda Holtzman, a thirtysomething from Cape Town who in June became the highest-ranking black woman in South African police
She was appointed to the South African Police Service Change Management Team (CMT) at a rank equivalent to brigadier, but since change in the force now includes the demilitarisation of ranks, her post is rated as director. “But I insist that I’m just Zelda and get everybody, from generals to constables, to address me by my first name,” she said this week. “The police culture in the past held dearly to rank and authority and by getting them to use my first name, I am trying to change those
Holtzman believes her prickly task of transforming the SAPS will be made easier with her belief in leading by example. So she is particularly careful to ensure her performance not only inspires other women and blacks to reach for senior positions in the force, but also encourages democratic procedures.
She shrugs off criticism that she is under-skilled and under-trained for her position. Her appointment was met with some protests from senior police personnel who had undergone police training and risen through the ranks but had not succeeded in their applications for her position.
Holtzman’s only previous experience in policing was a stint with the Community Peace Foundation, an NGO engaged in community work in the field of popular justice and which did some training of police officers in community policing.
As a member of a network of police officers, she was drawn into the Minister of Safety and Security’s advisory team last year before she applied for her present post. “I was very two-minded about applying for the job; at 3pm on the day applications closed, my CV was still not ready,” Holtzman said. “What inspired me was the fact that women across colour lines, even those competing against me for the job, rallied around me and convinced me that strong women were needed in the department.
“I haven’t had much difficulty in getting people to accept my authority, because I believe so strongly in leading by example. I have found that black police personnel who have been subjected to the ideology of domination for so long have been cheering me the loudest. Now people across colour lines are beginning to identify with my vision.”
Holtzman’s cause is a difficult one. The CMT comprises 40 technical teams facing the challenge of amalgamating 11 police agencies into one professional, community-oriented agency which provides quality service.
The CMT advises the management board of the SAPS on transformation at police stations, police training colleges, ethos, distribution of resources, relations with communities, public order policing, the formation of specialised police units and the general enhancement of police care.
“Our work is understood and supported by divisional heads, which is very important at this juncture. But we still find misconceptions among the broader membership of the force,” Holtzman said. “This is largely due to our poor communications and marketing strategies and should improve once initiatives like a police TV channel get off the ground. On the other hand, there is a lot of valid criticism about the process, the same faced by other government departments. We would like to see it being as transparent, accountable and democratic as possible, but we are also pressed for time and the need to deliver results.”
Holtzman does not remove herself from the firing line of criticism, saying much of the work of the CMT was “learning by doing”. As a former anti-apartheid activist who had been on the receiving end of the worst of police abuse, she has thrown herself heart and soul into developing new policemen and women for a new South
“You can’t carry a victim mentality forever. It was incumbent upon activists like myself to take our struggle to its logical conclusion, to transform this country entirely,” she said.