Brigadier out on bail, no experience takes over key Pretoria policing job
A brigadier who has never worn a police uniform, skipped every operational rank, and is allegedly currently out on bail for corruption charges has been appointed to lead visible policing in Pretoria's Moot district.
This move has sparked outrage among officers, politicians, and the public, who are calling it a blatant example of nepotism and a blow to police integrity.
The Democratic Alliance (SA) has slammed as 'outrageous' and a clear example of nepotism, demanding it be reversed immediately to protect the integrity of the police service.
'We demand the immediate reversal of this indefensible decision and will use Parliament's accountability mechanisms to ensure full transparency about how such an appointment was made.
'This decision is nothing short of outrageous. The Brigadier in question was one of several senior Crime Intelligence members arrested just weeks ago on charges including fraud, corruption and abuse of SAPS secret service funds. SAPS management now claims this is a 'temporary transfer' under the Disciplinary Regulations, which allow for redeployment if a member's presence in their current post is untenable. But nothing in the regulations justifies failing to impose precautionary suspension, which exists specifically to protect investigations and institutional integrity in cases exactly like this.'
It furthermore said appointing an untrained, operationally inexperienced officer to oversee front-line visible policing undermines public safety, the credibility of SAPS and the morale of honest, hardworking police officers who have earned their rank through service and merit.
'It also places ordinary constables and sergeants under the command of someone unfamiliar with the realities and risks of policing on the ground.
The DA said this case exposes serious flaws in internal vetting, accountability and decision-making at the highest levels of SAPS leadership.
'It demonstrates how political interference and weak discipline continue to erode the professional standing of the service and demoralise career officers.'
The DA demands the following immediate actions:
-The National Commissioner must reverse this transfer without delay.
-The Brigadier in question must be placed on suspension in line with the SAPS Disciplinary Regulations pending the outcome of her criminal and internal disciplinary proceedings.
In response to the backlash, the police defended the controversial appointment, stating that the organisation allows for lateral entry opportunities for individuals with specialised skills or expertise that do not necessarily come from a policing background.
According to Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, these professionals are brought in to support — rather than lead — operational policing, and are selected based on their qualifications and experience.
'It is not unusual for police to appoint individuals from outside the service if they possess the specific skills or qualifications required for a particular position. These lateral entrants do not necessarily progress through the traditional ranks of the police but are given a short induction — typically three to four months of police training — before assuming their roles.'
Mathe cited several examples of senior officials who entered the service laterally: the Divisional Commissioner for Supply Chain Management, who was a chief director at National Treasury before joining SAPS in 2022; a 35‑year‑old Major General in the Hawks, who is a chartered accountant and certified fraud examiner appointed in 2021; the CFO of SAPS, who holds a BCom accounting degree and joined at Colonel level 20 years ago; and Lieutenant General Bongiwe Zulu, now head of SAPS Training, who entered at Colonel level at age 35 and holds two PhDs.
In the case of the brigadier at the centre of the controversy, SAPS confirmed that she is currently employed in the Technical Management Services (TMS) division because she holds a technical qualification, which the organisation deemed valuable in that support environment.
Mathe could not confirm the current cases against the brigadier.
Also read: WhatsApp will STOP working on these phones – is your device on the list?
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
19 minutes ago
- IOL News
KZN political killings task team did ‘tremendous work,' says Ramaphosa, but Mkhwanazi disagrees
President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended the disbanded political killings task team in KwaZulu-Natal, saying it did 'tremendous work,' before its closure. Image: IOL Graphics President Cyril Ramaphosa insists the disbanded political killings task team in KwaZulu-Natal has done "tremendous work" over the years, despite claims from police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that the team's dissolution derailed more than 100 active murder cases. 'The political task team on the killings in KZN has been doing its work and has done tremendous work,' Ramaphosa said on Friday during a high-level meeting with the Northern Cape Provincial Executive. 'The killings then started coming down in KZN, the political killings. So the complaints that have been raised by the KZN police commissioner have to be investigated.' Mkhwanazi has accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who was recently placed on special leave, of political interference and protecting criminals. He alleged that Mchunu disbanded the task team in March, effectively closing 121 active dockets, many of which are tied to politically motivated assassinations. He said the cases were stored in the office of Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, who has also been placed on leave. Mkhwanazi said since its formation in 2018, the task team has handled 612 cases and secured more than 100 convictions. He said efforts to shut down the unit escalated after weapons linked to high-profile assassinations were uncovered. The top cop described the disbandment as 'a calculated move to shield a criminal syndicate embedded in law enforcement and politics.' In a December 2024 letter to National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, Mchunu claimed the unit had 'outlived its usefulness.' However, Masemola later denied authorising the closure. Mkhwanazi also alleged that investigations exposed links between criminal syndicates and politicians, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, judges, and businesspeople. He also implicated Mchunu's 'comrade,' Brown Mogotsi, in communicating with businessman Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, who had received a now-cancelled R360 million SAPS contract. Ramaphosa has since announced the establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to probe the corruption allegations. The commission will be led by Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. 'Those have to be investigated, and that is why I set up the commission. I expect that this commission, whose terms of reference are now out, will work very quickly,' he said. Ramaphosa said the commission is expected to deliver an initial report within three months and a final report within six months. He added that if more time is needed, he will consult with Madlanga. 'This is a commission that everyone in the country would like to see quick answers coming from,' he said. The commission has now been officially gazetted and will focus on alleged political interference, criminal syndicates operating within law enforcement, and deep-rooted corruption in the province. Meanwhile, the Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has filed a no-confidence motion against Ramaphosa regarding his choice to retain Police Mchunu rather than dismissing him. Instead, Mchunu has been placed on leave while a judicial commission of inquiry is set up. As a result, the party has taken its case to the Constitutional Court to contest President Ramaphosa's decision to put Mchunu on special leave, as well as the subsequent appointment of Professor Firoz Cachalia as the acting Police Minister. The party is requesting an urgent Parliament session to convene within the next two weeks to discuss and vote on the motion. [email protected] IOL Politics
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Court ruling exposes systemic failures in tackling gender-based violence in Belhar
Judge Mas-Udah Pangarker said the judgment should send out a strong message that rape and gratuitous violence are not taken lightly by the courts. Image: File A man's failed appeal against his life sentence has flecked open the injustices his estranged wife suffered following a drug-fuelled rape and gender-violence attack, which brought the woman within inches of losing her life. The judgment recently made in the Western Cape High Court, again shone the spotlight on the beleaguered Belhar police station, where the victim - in a critically bruised and bloodied state - was left without help for more than two hours while attempting to report the crime. In handing down judgment, Judge Mas-Udah Pangarker said the judgment should send out 'a strong message that rape and gratuitous violence of the nature that the complainant faced, as do so many other women and children, are not taken lightly by the courts'. Judge Pangarker ordered that the current station commander at Belhar SAPS investigate the circumstances and reasons why the complainant, who cannot be named, was not promptly assisted on or about October 15, 2019. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The estranged couple are parents of two minor children who now are in the care of family after the father was jailed and the mother, regretfully, finds herself back on the streets having again succumbed to her drug addiction. Enquiries to SAPS had not been answered by deadline. Judge Pangarker said the court had 'stepped beyond the traditional role as the appeal court because of the horror of the (man's) actions and the abject failure of police assistance when it was so desperately needed'. In the judgment, the judge ordered that after the station commander writes a report after their investigation and submit it to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which should in turn then provide training to the personnel and police officers at Belhar police station on the proper and expeditious handling of rape, sexual offences and gender-based violence offences, and the treatment of victims and complainants of such offences. Judge Pangarker said the DPP may, if it deems necessary, enlist the assistance of the Commission for Gender Equality in respect of such training. 'The court was also concerned as to whether the complainant had received the necessary counselling for the trauma she suffered. Far too often victims of crime and women and children in particular, regretfully fall through the cracks of an overburdened criminal justice system when it comes to post-trial attention and ongoing counselling. We were gratified to be informed through the diligence of counsel for the State, that the complainant had received some counselling. '(The woman) of her own volition, expressed to the court that she hoped that this matter may help other victims of gender-based violence and rape, as she wished her story and experience to be heard. To the extent that we have taken this unusual approach to the matter, we hope that this judgment sends out a strong message that rape and gratuitous violence of the nature that the complainant faced, as do so many other women and children, are not taken lightly by the courts,' said Judge Pangarker. The conduct of the community, who ignored the woman's first plea for help when she approached a neighbour for assistance, was also lamented by Judge Pangarker. 'This brings me to the surrounding community and neighbours whose conduct featured in the trial. The first neighbour, who notwithstanding a desperate plea from a visibly bleeding and bludgeoned complainant who begged her for help, simply refused to assist her, explaining that she did not wish to become involved in what she regarded to be no more than a domestic squabble. 'Such attitudes may not be isolated and given the high and pervasive levels of violence in the Western Cape, some community members fear for their lives when aiding injured persons. Needless to state, the broader fight against gender-based violence is compromised by such complex realities. Moreover, the real fears harboured by neighbours and other community members and the reality of violence should not be underestimated nor ignored,' said Pangarker. Ilitha Labantu spokesperson, Siyabulela Monakali, said the judgment must serve as more than a footnote in legal history. 'Ilitha Labantu strongly condemns both the heinous gender-based violence perpetrated against the survivor and the gross negligence displayed by the Belhar police station. That a woman, bruised, traumatised, and seeking help, was made to sit in agony for over two hours without assistance reflects a staggering failure of duty by law enforcement. These are not just procedural oversights; they represent deep institutional shortcomings that routinely fail survivors of gender-based violence in South Africa. 'The survivor in this matter was doubly victimised, first by her estranged husband in a violent and brutal assault, and then by the very system meant to protect her. Such injustice is a direct consequence of a lack of urgency, care, and accountability within some arms of our criminal justice system,' said Monakali. He added that they do not believe a single round of training and an internal investigation are sufficient to remedy what has occurred. 'Training without enforcement, oversight, and a shift in institutional culture is inadequate. What happened at Belhar SAPS is not an isolated incident, it is symptomatic of a broader national crisis in policing responses to GBV,' said Monakali. He said the organisation over the past five years have proactively worked to close these gaps by offering GBV sensitisation and response training to SAPS stations across the Western Cape. Monakali said to date, Ilitha Labantu has capacitated nearly 100 police stations across various districts, recognising that many officers are not adequately trained to deal with the complexities of GBV-related cases. These trainings, accepted voluntarily by the police stations, are offered free of charge, and is done as part of their commitment to building a justice system that works for survivors. 'Survivors of gender-based violence are consistently encouraged by government, civil society, and the broader public to report incidents to the police as a vital step toward justice and protection. However, incidents such as the one at Belhar police station severely undermine those efforts. When survivors are met with delays, indifference, or secondary victimisation at the very institutions meant to support them, it discourages others from coming forward.'
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
South Africa's proactive approach to finding new trade partners as US tariffs loom
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says the country was working on minimising the impact of the looming US 30% tariff hike on its exports. Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers South Africa is quickly expanding its global trade partners as a solution to the United States of America's 30% tariff on its exports, said Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen. Steenhuisen made the statement as the US tariff increase on South Africa is expected to come into effect on August 1. 'The real solution lies not just in playing defence, but in going on the offensive. This is why we are doubling down on market access expansion,' said Steenhuisen, who is the leader of the DA in the Government of National Unity. The tariff deadline will come as the country waits for the outcome of the proposed US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, which seeks to impose sanctions against some ANC leaders accused of, among others, supporting China, Russia, and Iran, and mismanaging state resources. Delivering a keynote address at the RSA Group Stakeholder Dinner in Muldersdrift outside Johannesburg on Thursday, Steenhuisen said his department was reaching out to other countries looking for markets to sell the country's agricultural products. He called on the country not to waste time by being overly reliant, but to be productive. He said the country was already strengthening its trade alliances with the likes of Chile, Peru, and New Zealand 'to jointly lobby for fair and stable trade treatment of fresh produce' through the Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters. 'Over the past six months alone, we have finalised new phytosanitary protocols for the export of avocados to China; table grapes to Vietnam and the Philippines; and maize to India,' he said. Steenhuisen said there were trade negotiations with Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh. 'Our goal is simple — to ensure that no South African fruit producer is ever left dependent on the goodwill of a single trading partner.' He said the country was also strengthening its plant health systems, expanding traceability capabilities, and digitising its export certification platforms to align with the European Union's Green Deal and Asia's growing demand for sustainability-linked imports as part of 'investments that are not just defensive; they are the launchpad for new growth'. He said the country's agriculture has always been one of ingenuity, grit, and partnership. 'We have overcome political transitions, trade embargoes, droughts, pandemics, and port crises. We will overcome these current headwinds (tariff increase) too,' he said. Steenhuisen said that to avert the effects of new tariffs more quickly and effectively, the country must be united and pull together. 'My department is open for business, open for reform, and open for ideas,' he said. Steenhuisen said the tariffs will damage the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which is set to expire in September and is already under threat of not being renewed due to strained relations between South Africa and the US. 'Let me be clear: South African agriculture did not deserve this treatment. We do not dump, we do not distort, and we do not play geopolitical games with food,' he said. He said the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) was leading the country's formal engagement with the United States. 'And we continue to work hand in hand with Minister Tau and his team to ensure that the full impact on the agricultural sector is well understood,' he said. Soon after taking over the US presidency for the second time, Donald Trump came down heavy on South Africa by signing an Executive Order alleging that the country was mistreating its Afrikaner community by enabling genocide and passing oppressive policies. He also accused the country of being aggressive towards his country and its allies, 'including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements'. 'The United States cannot support the government of South Africa's commission of rights violations in its country or its undermining of United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests,' read the order. In reaction, Ramaphosa led a delegation, which comprised Steenhuisen and influential businessman Johann Rupert, to correct misinformation about Afrikaners' treatment and straighten the relationship with Trump's administration. However, the first phase of passing the US-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act of 2025, which, according to its author, US Congressman Ronny Jackson, seeks to punish ANC leaders, raised eyebrows. The act, which is now awaiting tabling at the full House of Representatives, accused the ANC's government leaders of undermining human rights by having a military and political relationship with the Russian government, which is at war with Ukraine. It accused the country of having allowed a US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship, the Lady R, to dock and transfer arms at a South African naval base in December 2022. 'The ANC published an article in their newspaper, ANC Today, in October 2024, promoting Russian propaganda about the war in Ukraine,' read the proposed act, which also accused ANC leaders of mismanaging Eskom and Transnet, and enabling the cholera outbreaks. University of South Africa's Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs' international affairs expert, Dr Bongiwe Ngcobo, said the US actions were designed to force South Africa to abandon the International Court of Justice case against Israel on the Gaza conflict. She said South Africa's BRICS membership was also a concern for the US. 'If BRICS strengthen and grow, then it means they will have a challenger, and it means they will have less control over smaller countries like South Africa and other countries from the Global South,' she said. [email protected]
