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The picture at the centre of the race row.
A row has broken out over a “fake” photograph of three black women police officers apparently asleep in the Mitchells Plain charge office – and the man believed to have taken the picture could face charges of crimen injuria and defamation.
The picture has also focused attention on claims of racism by a group of senior coloured police officers at the station who are accused of using Afrikaans to exclude black officers from being employed there.
The Police and Prison Civil Rights Union (Popcru) claims the officers – a constable and two trainees – were told by an inspector to pose for the picture last week.
“After he finished taking the picture, he laughed and told the three he would expose them in the media,” said Popcru provincial chairman Francisco Fields.
The inspector is believed to be related to DA councillor Grant Pascoe, who at the weekend posted the picture on his Facebook page, which elicited angry responses.
Pascoe has insisted the picture was not “doctored” as earlier claimed by Mitchells Plain police cluster commander Jeremy Veary.
One of the responses to Pascoe’s Facebook page was from the DA’s spokesperson on the police, Diane Kohler Barnard, who commented: “OMG – It’s like Zuma’s three wives at the opening of Parliament”.
Pascoe is one of the candidates to succeed Cape Town mayor Dan Plato after next year’s local government elections should the DA retain control of the city.
Fields said yesterday that all three women had been traumatised, as the picture was published in the Sunday Times and later in other newspapers, and that they would file cases of crimen injuria and defamation against the inspector.
Western Cape police spokesman Billy Jones said no one at the station had been charged for any departmental or criminal offence.
“We are investigating the whole matter. We cannot predict when the investigation will be concluded, but the outcome will determine the course of action,” said Jones.
According to one officer at the station, the picture has exposed an undercurrent of racism at the station from a group of long-serving, mostly coloured, officers who have resisted the employment of “outsiders”.
At a public meeting in August with senior police officers and former community safety MEC Lennit Max, the issue of “service delivery”, specifically Afrikaans proficiency of officers stationed at the charge office, was raised.
Max said yesterday that his reply to the issue was one of inclusivity.
“What I said was that the police should cater for all languages. I said that they had to cater for the majority languages in specific areas, Afrikaans being the case in Mitchells Plain,” said Max.
This response, according to senior black police officer, at the station “emboldened” a group of coloured officers to resist the employment of black police officers at the station on the grounds that they could not speak or write Afrikaans.
Pascoe said yesterday he would not reveal the source of the picture, insisting it had nothing to do with racism.
“They (Popcru) can come with the allegations. I’m not going to reveal my sources. They’ve not proven anything, they’re making wild allegations,” said Pascoe. But he admitted two of his uncles worked at the Mitchells Plain police station, a fact he said was well known in the area.
Pascoe said allegations of racism at the station were a “sideshow” used as a convenient excuse to deflect issues of service delivery there.
“Most of people in Mitch-ells Plain speak Afrikaans. What is racist about all languages being protected in our constitution?” asked Pascoe.
He called on police to investigate Veary for claiming the three officers weren’t working at the station.
Veary insisted he only said the three women were not on duty on Thursday night last week when the picture was purportedly taken.
“The police investigation must determine if the picture was set up. I was accused of doctoring a picture, which is false,” Pascoe said. He said he had hired the services of forensic scientist David Klatzow.
But Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairman Ismail Chotia slammed Pascoe, saying he hardly attended public meetings on policing in the area.
“I don’t go to CPF meetings. It’s a futile exercise. They’ve killed off neighbourhood watches and instead started street committees,” Pascoe said.
Former community safety MEC Patrick McKenzie (ANC) said it would be “regrettable” if the picture was found to be staged. “I would have expected much better from someone like Pascoe who wants to lead the DA. He should have checked his facts.”
quinton.mtyala@inl.co.za - Cape Times
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2000, wrote
If they were asked to pose,then already it means they are running a circus there,and which idiot will pose sleeping on duty, so the whole thing also questions the running of the station(mickey mouse)
Anonymous, wrote
It looks like the pic was taken by a police member that were working as that part of the police station is "of" limit to members of the public.
Anonymous, wrote
why must raccism alway get in the way, if a black person is involved you can bet your life - raccism is going to be mentioned - be a grown up and admit you are guilty for once in your life!
greg, wrote
Face it people our police force are about as useful as a condom with air holes in it
Anonymous, wrote
Which stupid cop is going to act like that and not gain anything? That is the real cops behaviour in SA - POPCRU deal with your people and our staff because we pay their salaries to come to work and sleep - damn I forget, if you work for the government you do nothing anyway. Not all the cops are the same but why is there a long line at some of the police stations - cops not doing their jobs properly
missT, wrote
Ha ha ha! This is just hilarious....lol Haven't laughed like this in a while....yoh!. Staged? They're better than Hollywood..
X Cepting, wrote
That picture is real. Those policemen were sleeping. The police is not dealing with crime. Not a single comment here points out the fact that the police is hopelessly understaffed and work 12 hour shifts, not even the Kohler-Barnard or Pascoe or the government for that matter. Does anyone here have any idea what being a police officer in Mitchells Plain's gangstahood is like? Lets can the racism nonsense and address the real issues and the real people responsible.
Veary, wrote
Uhm...those cops don't work at this police station. No wait, they do but they weren't on duty. No, what I meant to say is the photo was doctored. No no, no, wait, they were forced to pose for the photo. Not buying it? Ok well then it's racism
Anonymous, wrote
There are kids being murdered, raped and abused everyday. No what are our policemen and woman doing... playing stupid childish games... It's a disgrace!!!!!!!!!
JR, wrote
ok, believeing their story, if there is this tension there and a comanding officer asked me to pose in a position which could be used against me then I sure as hell would not do so. I dont believe this is a setup or fake photo. They got busted and that is that. Only way to draw the attention away from their sleeping on duty was to blame someone else to avoid charges against themselve and OF COURSE bring in the racism card as that will have everyoen running scared.
Anonymous, wrote
Ag man! whats new, they even 'sleep walk'you should see the police patrol in Cape Town, eisch!! they 'stroll' along, never look vigilant!, just strolling, yawning and chatting away.....I say this picture is real!!! confirmed by a professional Fine Art photographer, but anybody who has 'eyes' can 'see' its real!!! trying to cover up again, these government departments has such a history of frot service.
Robin, wrote
Might be fake but this definately does happen in every charge office. Was in the Police for a number of years and members do fall asleep in the early morning hours, anyone that says differently is lying. Nothing new, usually happens out of sight of the public.
Greg, wrote
I actually dont think that they are sleeping I think that they are just a little worn out from a hard days work of learning their ABC or 2 times table.
Anonymous, wrote
People all i can say and believe me it does happen,ive seen it at so many stations.Now they want to use the race card,like always.The South Arican Police is just black no more place for the rest of the race living in this country.
Anonymous, wrote
And so the ANC's 2012 election campain begins...the usual drivel. Nothing of substance to offer besides the usual apartheid and racism k*k!!
Anonymous, wrote
They should f**k off from the Western Cape to their beloved ANC up north. I've seen this in JHB - lazy unproductive a****holes!! What race is lazy?
Anonymous, wrote
This is not fake - I have seen this many times before. Why bring race into it. Im sick of everything turned out to be a racial thing. Sleeping on the job! PATHETIC
Anonymous, wrote
If you ever want to find a policeman, go to the soccer stadiums when there's a game on. They are there, in their hundreds, many hours before the game starts, just sitting in their cars doing nothing! I hope some policemen and women are reading this article and the comments!!
Margaret, wrote
I don't believe this is fake at all. My husband experienced the same thing at the Health Clinic in Petervale (Bryanston). Three women fast asleep and when he disturbed them to ask where he should put a sputum sample, one of them cocked one eye open and pointed to a desk. When he asked "where?" she jabbed her finger towards a box, and then closed her eyes and went straight back to sleep. It is common behaviour, not only in Cape Town.
@Rob, wrote
IDIOT...You cannot set up a "STUPID circus" if you do not have clowns. Vote for Vavi if thats what blows your hair back.
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