Latest news with #DisciplinaryRegulations
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Controversial Brigadier not assigned to visible policing, but to Technical Unit
The police have refuted claims that a brigadier — allegedly currently out on bail for corruption charges and criticised for her lack of operational policing experience — was appointed to lead the Visible Policing (Vispol) unit in Pretoria's Moot district. In response to outrage over the appointment, national police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe clarified that the member was transferred to the Technology Management Service (TMS), where she will work in line with her qualifications, which include a National Diploma in Mechatronics Engineering and a BTech in Industrial Engineering. According to SAPS, she is not tasked with overseeing frontline policing operations but is filling a support role aligned with her expertise. 'The SAPS has lateral entry opportunities for individuals with specialised skills or expertise,' SAPS explained. 'These professionals are considered for positions that require specific skills other than policing, meaning policing won't be their core function because they are rendering a support function to the core mandate of SAPS. These professionals are employed based on their experience and qualifications, mainly in the support environments of the SAPS.' The police further pointed to several other examples of lateral appointments in the organisation: The Divisional Commissioner for Supply Chain Management, previously a chief director at National Treasury, joined SAPS in 2022. A 35‑year‑old Major General in the Hawks, who is a chartered accountant and certified fraud examiner, was appointed in 2021 from a parastatal and now heads forensic investigations. The SAPS CFO, with a BCom in accounting, joined at the rank of colonel 20 years ago. Lieutenant General (Dr) Bongiwe Zulu, now head of SAPS training, entered SAPS at colonel level at the age of 35 and holds two PhDs — in Education and in Criminology and Forensic Studies. This comes after the Democratic Alliance (DA) slammed the appointment 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.' Also read: Brigadier out on bail, no experience takes over key Pretoria policing job 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!
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Key Pretoria policing job given to brigadier with no experience, allegedly charged with corruption
Key Pretoria policing job given to brigadier with no experience, allegedly charged with corruption A brigadier who it is alleged has never worn a police uniform, skipped every operational rank, and is currently out on bail for corruption charges has been appointed to lead visible policing in Pretoria's Moot district. The police defended the appointment saying that individuals with specialized expertise not necessarily in a policing background, are brought in to support operational policing. 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. DA says appointment is outrageous The DA has slammed the appointment as 'outrageous' and demanded 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,' the party said in a statement. '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.' The DA said that SAPS management claims the appointment 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.' Places police officers on the ground at risk – DA 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. Several police officials appointed with no policing background 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. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Brigadier out on bail, no experience takes over key Pretoria policing job
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!
Arab Times
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Al-Arabi and Kuwait Club finalize preparations for Crown Prince Cup final
KUWAIT CITY, May 17: Al-Arabi and Kuwait Club will wrap up their final training sessions this evening as both teams gear up for tomorrow's highly anticipated Crown Prince Cup Final. With the title on the line, the coaching staff of both sides has intensified tactical preparations, aiming to deliver a performance worthy of the occasion. Al-Arabi, in particular, enters the match seeking redemption after losing the Zain Premier League title last week, falling 2-1 to Kuwait Club in the final round of the season. The final comes just days after the Kuwait Football Association's Disciplinary Committee announced a series of penalties following disturbances that erupted during the recent league clash between the two sides. Al-Arabi players Sofiane Bouchar, Emmanuel Iwala, and Hamza Khaba were each suspended for two league matches and fined KWD 1,000. Additionally, Jassim Taqi, a member of the club's fan association, received a three-month stadium ban and was fined KWD 1,000 for offensive behavior on the social platform X, under Article 58 of the Disciplinary Regulations. Another Al-Arabi supporter, Abdulaziz Al-Darbas, was handed a one-year stadium ban and fined KWD 500 after storming the pitch and engaging in an altercation with Kuwait Club players. The club itself was fined KWD 8,000 for repeated infractions by its fans, which included throwing smoke bombs, sound bombs, and chanting offensive slogans. Kuwait Club players Sami Al-Sanea, Ayman Abu Al-Fath, Mohammed Daham, and Ahmed Al-Zanki were each suspended for two league matches and fined KWD 1,000 under Article 60. Amr Abdel-Fattah received a KWD 500 fine for physical altercations with Al-Darbas, while photographer Nasser Bin Nasser was suspended for two matches and fined KWD 500 for his involvement in the incident. A press conference for the Crown Prince Cup Final will be held at noon today at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, featuring the head coach and one player from each team. The session is expected to address the teams' strategies, preparations, and remarks ahead of the cup showdown.
