NPO head takes fight against ‘police van misuse’ to Public Protector

A non-profit organisation (NPO) executive has called for an urgent investigation into the alleged misuse of police vehicles in Bramley, Gauteng.

Chairperson of the Public Interest SA NPO, Tebego Khaas highlighted concerns about police vehicle resource management within the Bramley South African Police Service (Saps).

Khaas has formally requested the Public Protector to investigate whether police vehicles from the Bramley Police Station are being used outside official working hours and if such usage complies with public service employment conditions.

The matter came to light after Khaas exposed what he describes as ‘systematic misuse of police vehicles‘ in Pretoria through social media posts, drawing attention to the allocation of law enforcement resources.

UPDATE:

I had an hour long phone conversation with the Bramley police station commander later this afternoon. We have resolved to get together soon. There are systemic issues that require an all-of-society approach. @propublicaSA will be central to drive these.

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— Tebogo Khaas (@tebogokhaas) October 28, 2024

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Station response

In his letter to the Public Protector, Khaas said he spoke with the Bramley Police Station commander, Colonel Owen King, who allegedly provided an ambiguous response, neither confirming nor denying the personal use of vehicles.

“Although Colonel King provided insights into the challenges his station faces regarding vehicle allocation, usage, and police driving competency levels, this did not address the core concern,” said Khaas.

According to the NPO chairperson, King indicated that the station sometimes had more vehicles than “competent” drivers, despite officers holding valid licences.

This situation raised particular concern given that the Bramley Police Station has recently seen an increase in carjackings, rising to become the 29th highest station for this crime in the province, according to The Citizen’s sister newspaper Rosebank and Killarney Gazette.

The Citizen reached out to the police for comment on the allegations and was referred to several different officials. An update will be published once received.

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Wider implications

Khaas said that on Monday, while on a personal visit around the area, he went past the residence where he had initially spotted the Bramley police van and noticed that this time a white Sedan was parked in place of the police vehicle.

The concerned citizen said this was a ‘positive development’ while raising concerns about the station’s operational practices, particularly focusing on vehicle management and institutional compliance.

He questioned whether “this change [is] a response to the public outcry following my concerns expressed on social media through a tweet that garnered more than a million views”.

Moreover, Khaas suggested these changes might be temporary diversionary tactics rather than genuine reforms or perhaps an indirect admission of previous wrongdoing.

Khaas emphasised that the problem extended beyond Bramley Police Station, affecting metro police departments nationwide.

“This is a systemic issue within the police system and is inimical to the Batho Pele principles,” he stated.

“More importantly, it impacts service delivery, especially to the poor and marginalised communities.”

He called for a comprehensive investigation by institutions with appropriate constitutional mandates to improve service delivery levels across affected areas.

“I requested that a meeting be convened to thoroughly discuss the matter, and I expect this to take place in the coming weeks,” said Khaas.

The Public Protector’s office has yet to respond to the request for an investigation.

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