A top cop, who is believed to have helped launch a domestic violence office, is accused of assaulting his girlfriend.
|||Cape Town - One of the Western Cape’s top cops, who is believed to have helped launch the province’s first domestic violence office in Mitchells Plain last month, is being investigated for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.
The policeman is a major-general, a notch below the rank of provincial commissioner. His girlfriend, who also works for the police, filed a domestic violence complaint at Parow police station last month.
The new Mitchells Plain domestic violence office deals solely with incidents of gender-based violence.
Head of the police’s provincial communications department Brigadier Novela Potelwa confirmed on Tueday that the matter was being investigated by a senior officer from outside the province. The major-general had not been suspended, but provincial police management viewed the charge in “a very serious light”, she said.
“This office can confirm that an investigation against one of our senior officials in the province is currently under way,” Potelwa said. “It’s led by a major-general who comes from outside the province. As is the case with all complaints of domestic violence, we have offered the necessary support to the complainant in this case.”
Asked if the male officer was out on bail, Potelwa replied via SMS: “Case being investigated, not appeared yet.”
The Cape Argus cannot identify the man because he has not yet appeared in court.
Community Safety MEC Dan Plato said he was aware of the investigation and had asked for more details.
“This is shocking,” Plato said. “The charges are very serious and this is a very senior officer in the SAPS. Our men and women in blue should be protecting the public.”
Plato said the complainant should contact his office immediately should she be victimised. On average, Western Cape police receive nearly 60 000 domestic violence complaints a year.
clayton.barnes@inl.co.za
Cape Argus