Public Protector Thuli Madonsela will be asked to probe the alleged dodgy promotion of six police officers in President Jacob Zuma’s VIP protection unit.
Both the DA and the FF Plus said on Monday they would make the request after reports in City Press at the weekend that the officers skipped up to six ranks in their promotions.
DA police spokesman Dianne Kohler Barnard and her FF Plus counterpart, Pieter Groenewald, said on Monday they would ask Madonsela to investigate.
City Press reported that the six bodyguards were irregularly promoted to the rank of full colonel by acting national police chief Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
It said two jumped six ranks from warrant officer to colonel, another two moved up three ranks from captain to colonel, and two other VIP guards were promoted by one level from lieutenant-colonel to full colonel.
The promotions all took place over the past month. They were not announced and no interviews took place, the newspaper reported. It said the promotions had sparked speculation that they were a reward for loyalty to Zuma after he was axed as deputy president.
Kohler Barnard said she would ask Madonsela that an investigation requested by the DA last year into irregular promotions within the SAPS be extended to include the VIP guards’ promotions.
They appeared to be a significant departure from police guidelines that allow the national commissioner to override policy guidelines only in special circumstances.
“The SAPS guidelines clearly state that ‘levels and ranks cannot be skipped’ and personnel ‘have to apply and compete with their peers for advertised posts’,” she said. - Political Bureau