SAPS forks out R25m on external consultants
to polish its image
Caiphus Kgosana@City_Press1
February 2015 16:00
The SA Police Service
(SAPS) is spending R25 million on external communications companies in a bid to
polish the image of national commissioner Riah Phiyega and the often-criticised
police force.
But questions have been
raised about why SAPS communications head Solomon Makgale would spend so much
money on consultants when there are more than 200 people working under him in
the communications unit.
The first company – The
Communications Firm – will provide reputation management, media monitoring and
analysis, as well as public relations services to the police. Its contract is
worth R9.6 million.
Another firm – The Switch
Design Company – has been appointed for two years to handle creative conceptualisation,
copywriting and designing of artwork. Its contract is valued at R5.4 million.
Negotiations are under way
with a third company to provide brand management services, with its contract
estimated to be R10 million.
But current and past staff
members of the SAPS communications division who spoke to City Press have
questioned the decision to outsource these functions, saying it was a waste of
money because there was more than enough internal capacity in the police to
handle all the work that is being given to outside firms.
“The SAPS has a fully
fledged communications unit. They do their own work, produce their own banners
and graphics, and perform all of those functions that are now being outsourced.
“What will they do with the
more than 200 staff members in communications?” asked an SAPS insider.
The staff structure at the
SAPS communications unit includes 10 senior managers at the level of director,
each earning more than R800 000 a year, and two chief directors appointed by
Makgale himself.
In all nine provinces, the
communications units are headed by directors who have sizable numbers of staff
members assisting at all levels to run the communications machinery.
One senior manager within
the communications unit said they were also surprised that Makgale was bringing
in consultants to do the work when he had failed to produce a communications
strategy to drive the work of the unit.
“How do you bring in
consultants when you can’t even produce a communications strategy? We are still
waiting for one. This is just a waste of money,” said a communications manager
who asked not to be named.
Makgale told City Press
that he was bringing in outside communications companies because there was
insufficient capacity within the
SAPS to handle all its
corporate communications needs.
“A skills audit within the
corporate communications division was done. It indicated that the basic
requisite skills mandatory for an organisation such as the SAPS were
insufficient to deal effectively with communication requirements from an
internal and external point of view,” Makgale said.
He said The Communications
Firm would assist with “identifying positive media coverage and assisting with
the management of crisis situations”.
The Switch Design Company
would focus on designing pamphlets and other materials, and the third company
would work on brand management and aligning the behaviour of employees with the
values of the SAPS.
Makgale said there was
nothing untoward in the awarding of the contracts, and all tenders had been
advertised and proper procurement processes had been followed.
He acknowledged that one of
the companies did work for Acsa when he was communications manager there, but
said the second company was appointed after he left.
“They were not appointed by
me. The Switch Design Company got a job from Acsa more than a year after I
left,” Makgale said.
