Riah Phiyega

Mangwashi Victoria Phiyega, commonly known as Riah Phiyega, is the current police commissioner of the South African Police Service. She was appointed to the office by South African President Jacob Zuma on June 13, 2012. ^[1] and is the first woman to hold the post.

Biography

Phiyega was born in Polokwane and received her primary and secondary education at various schools in Limpopo. ^[2]

She received a BA degree in Social Work from the University of the North, a BA Hons degree in Social Sciences from Unisa, an MA degree in Social Sciences from the University of Johannesburg ^[3] and a postgraduate diploma in Business Administration from the University of Wales in Cardiff.

Phiyega was a Group Executive at Absa Bank Limited, a board member of Absa Actuaries and trustee of the Absa Foundation. She was also a Group Executive at Transnet and served on numerous Transnet subsidiaries. She was part of a team of senior executives who were responsible for the restructuring of the old Portnet into two major separate entities: Port Operations and Port Authority. Subsequent to the above restructuring, she became part of the Executive of the National Ports Authority of South Africa.

She served as Director for Development at the National Council for Child Welfare. She spent a few years at the Chamber of Mines as an employee well-being consultant. Prior to joining the South African Police Service, she was appointed as Chairperson of the Presidential State-Owned Enterprise Review Committee. The Committee was tasked with the responsibility of reviewing State-Owned Entities and to make recommendations for their future repositioning.

Phiyega was the Vice Chairperson for the Independent Commission for Remuneration of Public Office Bearers. She chaired the Road Traffic Management Corporation Investigation Task Team which looked into maladministration, corruption and poor corporate governance. The task team made major intervention and restructuring recommendations to the Minister of Transport, assisting to improve the corporation.

Phiyega has served in other significant national structures, which included serving as a board member of the 2010 Bid Committee that managed the hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup by South Africa and as commissioner for the Road Accident Fund Commission led by Judge Satchwell.

Medal Controversy

In October 2014, Phiyega was embroiled in a controversy. A photo of her was displayed in the national media wearing a police uniform with a number of medals. The decorations were revealed in Parliament when DA police spokeswoman Dianne Kohler Barnard asked about the medals Phiyega wore at the National Police Remembrance Day.^[4] The police ministry announced that they were satisfied that Phiyega satisfied the requirements for the medals.^[5]

Dianne Kohler Barnard issued a satirical piece, which was subsequently widely quoted, which "congratulated" Phiyega on the medals.^[6]

The medals in question were:

• South African Police Service Gold Medal for Outstanding Service (SOEG)

• South African Police Service Ten Year Commemoration Medal

• South African Police Service World Cup 2010 Support Award

• South African Police Service Amalgamation Medal

References