Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
13 April 2025 | 11:40 CAT

SAPS members accused of domestic violence given a slap on the wrist, Source – DA

A Nelson Mandela Bay police constable accused of aggravated robbery, possession of stolen goods, and carrying an unlicensed firearm was handed a two-month unpaid suspension — a move the DA has called “a slap on the wrist” that undermines public trust in law enforcement.

The constable, identified as Klaas, reportedly faked illness in September last year to book off sick, only to commit an armed home robbery in Storms River. He was apprehended in Bethelsdorp soon after, in possession of stolen items and an unlicensed firearm.

DA Community Safety Spokesperson Yusuf Cassim told Radio Islam International, “He admitted to all of the charges and pleaded guilty, yet the sanction was a mere suspension. If any resident had committed such crimes, they would be arrested and prosecuted — not allowed to return to work.”

Cassim described the internal disciplinary process as deeply flawed and not in line with the SAPS 2016 regulations. “It was presided over by a colonel and signed by a captain — when in fact, it should be overseen by a brigadier and commissioned by the national commissioner,” he explained.

Cassim also revealed that Klaas’s colleagues in the Family Violence and Child Protection Unit are “shocked” by the leniency, stating that morale within the unit has plummeted. “It’s clear this officer is being protected. If we don’t act, this will be swept under the carpet.”

The DA has escalated the issue to the Eastern Cape legislature and is demanding answers. Cassim says formal questions will be tabled to the MEC to determine how many officers guilty of serious crimes remain in SAPS employment.

He added, “We cannot allow trust in our law enforcement to erode. The Eastern Cape already carries the highest murder rate in the country. If justice is not upheld within SAPS, how can we expect it in our communities?”

The DA is also investigating a separate case in the Northern Cape involving an officer accused of rape who was similarly reinstated.

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Yusuf Cassim here.