South African Revenue Service commissioner Pravin Gordhan has been asked to consider becoming South Africa’s next police boss.
If he were to agree and be appointed by President Thabo Mbeki, Gordhan could take over the reins from embattled police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi before the end of June.
For this to happen, Gordhan would have to leave Sars prematurely. His contract with the revenue service expires in October next year, and there is clearly no unanimity in government or the ANC over whether he should be given the SAPS job or whether he would accept it.
Selebi’s five-year term expires at the end of June and his pending corruption trial makes it almost impossible for Mbeki to extend his contract. Deputy National Commissioner Tim Williams has been acting as police boss since Mbeki placed Selebi on extended leave in January.
People familiar with Gordhan’s thinking on the issue differed over whether he would accept the job. One said it was unlikely, but didn’t rule out the possibility of Gordhan becoming the minister of safety and security in a Jacob Zuma Cabinet; another suggested he was seriously weighing the possibility.
Gordhan was also punted as a potential successor to Finance Minister Trevor Manuel or perhaps minister of home affairs.
However, another source familiar with the debate on Gordhan’s future role said he is contemplating taking on the police chief job.
‘The discussion is happening, but no deal has been put on the table. Until there’s a firm deal, it’s premature to talk about whether he is considering taking the job or not.”
‘I believe he will consider it if an offer is made, but he will be cautious that everybody who counts buys into his appointment. Only if there’s no comeback will he consider taking this job — and that means the old and the new ANC leaders must be happy with it.â€
Rumours of a possible reassignment of Gordhan to the top job at SAPS began last December when businessman Johann Rupert proposed to Mbeki that the man who transformed Sars into the most ruthlessly efficient arm of government should be given the task of saving the police.
Gordhan has a history of close ties to some of the leading figures in new ANC national executive committee and is certainly the most credible technocrat to come out of the Operation Vula network, which largely backed Zuma’s bid for the presidency.
Gordhan plays down his political ambitions, preferring to describe himself as an activist. But some of his supporters reckon police national commissioner would be a disappointing sideways move for a man who has built up a considerable store of political capital in the past decade.
‘It would almost be a demotion,†a supporter said. ‘I would say there’s no chance of him replacing Selebi, but if you are talking a ministerial job, yes, that is a serious possibility.â€
In the SAPS top structures it is generally accepted that none of Selebi’s five deputies — Williams included — is the kind of the leader the police need right now. Gordhan has been discussed but, if it is not him, someone else with strong leadership abilities is needed to turn around a sinking ship.
‘You don’t necessarily need someone with police experience,†a senior police source said. ‘The new guy can learn the technical stuff from a small group of advisers. But you need someone objective to sort out this mess.â€
The names of Williams and Deputy National Commissioner Mala Singh have been mentioned as possible successors, but it would be a ‘big surprise†if either of them make it, the police source said.
Williams was described as a ‘very good, intelligent backroom operator†and Singh’s strengths are said to lie in human resources.
The Zuma camp appears not to have made up its mind on who it would like to see in the job, with one senior figure suggesting Williams will stay on as acting police boss until after next year’s general election when the country’s new president will appoint directors general. — Additional reporting by Sam Sole
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