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Top police manager found guilty of racism and disparaging remarks

A top human resources officer in the South African Police Service (SAPS) faces dismissal following a hearing which reportedly found her guilty of racism and making disparaging remarks at work, trade union Solidarity said. 

The union said Major-General Sandra Malebe-Thema was the Head of Basic Police Development when she taken to task over remarks made during an event in Oudtshoorn. 

"According to Anton van der Bijl, Head of Legal Service at Solidarity, Malebe-Thema made herself guilty of racist and humiliating remarks towards various training personnel during an event at the SAPS Training Academy in Oudtshoorn, in 2016," said Solidarity. 

"Van der Bijl also said that the General stated that there were too many white faces occupying positions in training and that the so-called discrimination against black students will be stopped. 

"During the same event she also made inappropriate comments about a selected group of personnel’s clothing and weight."

Enca reported on Thursday that she has already been dismissed.

Comment was not immediately available from Malebe-Thema, and police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said they do not comment on internal police matters. 

"We do not comment about internal matters in the public domain," he said.

Solidarity said it had laid a complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission and had then approached the Labour Court to force the police to act on behalf of the aggrieved people.

The Citizen reported that she was found guilty at a disciplinary hearing on three charges of serious misconduct in December and dismissal was recommended. 

It added that one woman testified that she felt so humiliated and hurt that she cried hysterically and subsequently became so depressed that she needed medical assistance and hospitalisation.


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