CAPTAIN AXED OVER PASSPORT

WAR OF POSTERS

A LONG-serving captain is still battling to recover from the shock of being axed by the SA Police Service (SAPS) a year ago over a diplomatic passport.

Patrick Makiringi of Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, was shown the door in July last year after being found guilty of four internal charges relating to keeping a diplomatic passport in his possession and using it to fly outside the country without authorisation.

The diplomatic passport was issued to Makiringi when he was appointed as the police’s training attaché to Sudan in 2010.

Unlike ordinary passports, a diplomatic passport exempts its holder from being stopped and searched by foreign officials.

After being recalled under a cloud in November 2011, Makiringi allegedly kept the diplomatic passport in case he was deployed outside the country again.

The charges against him were that he used the passport twice for a trip in January 2012, three times in February of 2013 and once in 2014. Makiringi denied travelling in 2014.

During his disciplinary hearing, chaired by a SAPS brigadier, Makiringi pleaded guilty to all charges against him. He told Sowetan he pleaded guilty thinking the SAPS would sanction a lenient sentence.

“I was under the impression that even if they found me guilty of using the passport, there would be a suspended sentence or a fine – not a dismissal. There was no complaint from outside [the country] … where they can say I used the diplomatic passport to commit crime,” he said.

Makiringi also wanted the matter resolved so he could be promoted to major as part of a collective agreement the SAPS signed in 2013 to promote 513 captains.

“The thing I’m worried about is the harshness of the sentence. I’ve worked for SAPS for 30 years. There was never a misconduct [case] against me. I’ve never had a written or verbal warning until this passport issue,” Makiringi said.

“I mean, you can give yourself the benefit of the doubt that this guy who has not had a case in a 30-year period – maybe he didn’t do it intentionally.

“I don’t know, maybe I’m on another planet. But is this not shocking?”

After losing an internal appeal, Makiringi did not pursue the matter any further, fearing it could drag on at the Labour Court and bar the SAPS from releasing his pension.

At 57, Makiringi is approaching retirement. But he is still hoping for a chance to clear his name internally.

“I just want justice, [from SAPS] to say, let’s re-look at this issue.”

SAPS spokesman Vishnu Naidoo would not be drawn to comment on the matter yesterday.