Max takes new ID

2003-06-15 20:47

Barnie Louw

Cape Town - First commissioner, then advocate, and if everything goes according to plan, it will shortly be Lennit Max MP.

"Everything is possible if people want it that way," Lennit Max, former Western Cape police commissioner, said on Sunday regarding his parliamentary prospects after he joined Patricia de Lille's Independent Democrats (ID) over the weekend.

"There is a need for honest and competent leaders who do not make empty promises," he said.

De Lille said Max would be the party's spokesperson on safety and security, justice and poverty.

"He will return as a member of parliament and those who ousted him would then have to tread carefully," De Lille said.

Max unexpectedly resigned as Western Cape police chief in May amidst rumours that he left because of political pressure.

De Lille said Max has already made a valuable contribution to the ID's safety and security policy and that he could now confront issues that he wasn't allowed to address within the police service.

"There is more arrogance than competence within the South African Police Service," Max said.

Some of the issues he intends to take up with government include ensuring that his successor as police chief is a representative of the community and the lack of diversity in the police's top structures.

"I cannot understand it - and it is totally unacceptable - that there is not one white provincial police commissioner in any of the nine provinces. This has to be rectified," he said.

- Die Burger