Cape Town - The appointment of the new Western Cape Police Ombudsman Major General Oswald Reddy has been roundly welcomed.
His appointment followed the tabling of his nomination for appointment at the standing committee for community safety on July 29, where members of the committee agreed unanimously to his appointment.
Premier Alan Winde said he was glad that they had nominated Reddy for the position, where he would provide important oversight over the police service, on behalf of communities in the Western Cape.
The office of the Western Cape Police Ombudsman was established through the Western Cape Community Safety Act, which was assented to in April 2013, for the purpose of investigating complaints regarding police inefficiencies.
Reddy has worked in the police service for more than 39 years and served in numerous capacities, having worked his way up the ranks in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Gauteng.
He has also served as a major general in the SAPS for 19 years. He currently serves as the cluster commander for Eden.
ANC provincial spokesperson for community safety Mesuli Kama said it was really disappointing that it took over nine months to fill the vacancy of the police ombudsman, after the resignation of Johan Brand.
Kama said there was no justification for it, besides an indication of ineptitude on the part of the premier and the government.
He said, while they noted that Reddy was a competitive and experienced officer and welcomed his appointment, however, they were very concerned with the continuation of poaching of cluster commanders, as they feel that goes a long way to weaken the police service’s efficiency in the province.
"Moreover, we feel that the office of police ombudsman is a waste of scarce resources, as it duplicates already existing functions and it does not serve its purpose, as it has many unfilled vacancies," said Kama.
He said, with Reddy's appointment, the premier must also avail resources to fill in vacancies and address other structural gaps.
Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz said, on behalf of his department, he had great pleasure in welcoming Reddy as the ombudsman, which has a crucially important role to play in the provincial safety plan.
"We look forward to the many fruitful engagements we will have and to working together for the benefit of our citizens and communities," said Fritz.
Community safety standing committee chairperson in the Western Cape legislature Reagan Allen said, as the committee, they have considered and deliberated the qualification and integrity of the nominee on July 29, and resolved to support the preferred candidate.
"The position remains the only one of its kind in the country and works alongside the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) and Civilian Police Secretariat. Ultimately, it is an additional measure to ensure the optimal efficiency of the SAPS in the Western Cape," said Allen.