Popcru guns for police college head
THE National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola has defended SAPS Divisional Commander for Human Resources, Bongiwe Zulu, over allegations made against her by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru).
This comes after the union called for Lieutenant-General Zulu’s removal amid allegations of her failure to lead in the smooth running at various police colleges which she oversees.
On Tuesday, Popcru president Thulani Ngwenya said he was concerned about the growing number of complaints against Zulu about her style of leadership.
Zulu was appointed in 2018 with parts of her responsibility being oversight of SAPS colleges.
Ngwenya said that many unit managers wanted her out due to her many failures as a leader.
“Our members have reported that this commissioner’s management style is undermining morale and creating a hostile environment for both staff and trainees,” Ngwenya said.
Ngwenya said the union was concerned about the impact this has on the well-being and mental health of employees.
“This not only impacts employees’ mental health, but is jeopardising the quality of training that candidates receive, threatening their safety and success as future SAPS members. This situation cannot be allowed to stand. We will not stand by while the foundation of our police service crumbles.”
According to complaints received by Popcru, several managers have filed grievances against Zulu, and some have accused Zulu of initiating unfair disciplinary processes which include threats of suspension and disciplinary charges. Furthermore, she is accused of ignoring sexual harassment in these colleges which in turn have created an unsafe environment in the colleges.
“Popcru has received numerous reports where complaints about sexual harassment or other forms of misconduct were ignored, creating an unsafe working environment… This action has resulted in many of the managers taking sick leave,” Ngwenya lamented.
As a result, the union said it wanted Masemola to intervene.
However, responding to The Star’s media inquiry, police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, revealed that Popcru has not raised any concerns about Zulu even though labour unions enjoy an open-door policy with the national commissioner.
“National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has created an open door policy in having discussions with labour unions at any time. We call upon labour, if they have any issues with any senior manager or member, to immediately bring it to the attention of the general,” said Mathe.
Mathe revealed that the commissioner recently had a meeting with Popcru, but the union has never raised the issues with him.
“We had a meeting not so long ago with Popcru, these matters were not raised. We are also not aware of any investigation against General Zulu. We take General Zulu in high regard in terms of the work that she is doing. She continues to maintain high standards of training in the SAPS.
“In the last two years, under her leadership, SAPS has trained and deployed 20 000 officers to various stations and units. She is also overseeing the training of 4 500 recruits that are in training. Under her command, more than 25 000 detectives have been trained and are producing great results for the service,” Mathe added.