The South African Policing Union (SAPU) is demanding an investigation into the tragic suicide of a Gauteng officer.
Image: IOL
The South African Policing Union (SAPU) in Gauteng has called for an urgent investigation into the death of a senior officer at Sunnyside SAPS, alleging that a culture of workplace "bullying" and "victimisation" drove the member to take his own life.
In a media statement, the union revealed that a Lieutenant Colonel who served as a relief commander in the Tshwane District died by suicide last week.
According to SAPU, the officer was on leave when he was allegedly summoned to the station by a senior commander to bring in his firearm for inspection. During this encounter, the commander reportedly addressed the Lieutenant Colonel in a "demeaning manner," allegedly referring to him as a "blank file."
Despite being on leave, the officer was reportedly ordered to return to work immediately. SAPU claims that following the meeting, the member expressed to colleagues that he "could not take the abuse anymore."
"The Lt Colonel then went home and apparently gave his brother the work phone after he mentioned that he could not take this bullying anymore. He apparently went to the back of his house and shot himself," the union stated.
The union has painted a grim picture of the working environment at the Sunnyside Police Station, alleging that the tragic incident is the result of long-standing patterns of harassment.
"Members at the station have been afraid to report this act formally because they are afraid of further victimisation... The reality of victimisation and bullying that our members are facing at the hands of management is concerning."
SAPU further alleged that previous complaints escalated to the District Commander regarding the conduct of the station leadership had yielded "no positive results."
SAPU Gauteng is now calling on Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mthombeni, to launch a deep-dive probe into the circumstances leading up to the officer's death.
The union’s demands include:
"It is disturbing that on the eve of celebrating Freedom Day as a country, the men and women in blue... are not free and have to look forward to burying their colleague," the statement read.
SAPU urged other members facing similar challenges to "break their silence" and utilise internal grievance processes to fight against workplace bullying.
Gauteng SAPS management said it is aware of allegations of workplace bullying linked to the death of one of its members and has launched an investigation to establish the facts.
In a statement, the police said the allegations are being treated with seriousness and that a “thorough investigation” is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, including any contributing factors.
The police have appealed to the public and media to avoid speculation or sharing unverified information, warning that doing so could compromise the investigation and cause additional distress to the member’s family, colleagues and the broader community. It added that appropriate action will be taken should any wrongdoing be confirmed.
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