Ex-cop in uproar at Limpopo Office of Public Protector

Former Police officer, Lesetja Mokonyama caused a scene at the Office of the Public Protector in Polokwane on Tuesday when he demanded a report that he has been requesting for five years following the South African Police Service allegedly failing to re-enlist him in 2010 although he reportedly passed all the tests.
The report, according to information on the Public Protector’s website, communicates the findings by the Public Protector and the appropriate remedial action taken in terms of the Constitution, pursuant to an investigation into the alleged improper failure by Police to re-enlist its former member to its service after he responded to an advertisement that sought to recruit former members back into the service and failure to give him valid reasons for their decision.
The advertisement, according to Mokon­yama, was issued by Police in January 2010 inviting former members to submit their applications if they were still interested in returning to its service. He claims that he went through all the processes and interviews in February 2010 and was shortlisted for a position but the Police failed to re-enlist him without giving him a valid reason. He hence took the matter to the Office of the Public Protector for investigations in 2012 but little did he know that his case was going to drag for years.
Mokonyama, who purchased his discharge from the Police in 2009, is crying foul and accuses the Office of the Public Protector of being biased as there was another ex-cop who was assisted on the same case after he found himself in the same position and he was re-enlisted. He said the ex-cop in question filed his case about six month after him but was given preference. He further stated that he did not want any favour from anyone but justice and added that he will not rest until he receives a complete report.
Mokonyama displayed placards at the Office of the Public Protector during his visit and threatened to sleep in the office until a report was presented to him. He was invited to one of the offices where an official promised to give him a letter before the end of business on Tuesday stating the reasons for the delay of issuing the report.
Mokonyama eventually received the promised letter from which he quoted verbatim during a telephone conversation with Polokwane Observer on Tuesday afternoon: “Kindly be informed that a section 7(9) notice was indeed issued to the Police regarding your matter with an undertaking to respond by 31 October 2017. The Police had not responded to the Public Protector’s notice as at 31 October. The Public Protector team will proceed to prepare a formal report which will be finalised by the end of November.”
Mokonyama said he would wait for the report on the said date although he knows that they will give him excuses.
At the time of going to press comment requested from the Police had not been received.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za