Johannesburg - A Joburg station commander, who has been accused of bunking work, has allegedly been on leave for about 156 days - all in just two years.
Since his appointment as the station commander of Jeppestown police station in February 2014 until February this year, Brigadier Govindsamy Mariemuthoo has been absent from work for about 30 percent of the time. He has allegedly taken 70 vacation days, 64 days' temporary incapacity leave and 22 days' sick leave.
The area topped the list as one of the most dangerous places in Gauteng, with 72 murders being recorded in the 2014/2015 year.
Mariemuthoo’s leave record was revealed by DA Joburg East constituency head Jack Bloom, who accused him of playing truant. “I suspect that Mariemuthoo is a serial malingerer,” Bloom said on Monday.
When The Star visited the station on Monday, an officer, who did not want to named, said the brigadier was not at work as he was still on leave.
Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane’s official written reply in the Gauteng legislature said the officer was off work for 64 days due to a knee injury.
But Bloom was less impressed. “I fail to see why a knee injury should lead to 64 days' leave, which is an absence of three months,” he said. The other time off was recorded as 70 vacation days and 22 days' sick leave.
Bloom said Mariemuthoo’s absentee rate was unacceptable as the station operated in an area plagued by drug dealing and other serious crimes.
“This means he was absent for more than 30 percent of the time, which is excessive and affects the functioning of the station, which is in a high crime area,” Bloom said.
According to the police’s crime statistics from April 2014 to March 2015, the total number of crimes reported was 6 678, with 72 murders being recorded during the 2014/2015 year.
In her written reply last month, however, Nkosi-Malobane said Mariemuthoo’s absenteeism did not affect operations at the station, as an acting station commander had been appointed.
She added that no action had been taken against the brigadier as his absence was in accordance with the national leave instruction.
This means that he followed the correct processes to apply for leave and submitted medical certificates in the case of sick leave, according to Nkosi-Malobane.
“There is no need for steps to be taken as an acting station commander is always appointed in the periods of absence,” the MEC said.
But Bloom disagreed, saying Mariemuthoo’s absentee rate does affect the running of the station. “I am outraged by his long absences and I disagree with MEC Nkosi-Malobane's assessment that it has not had an effect on the operations at the police station.”
He added that Mariemuthoo was a poor example to his colleagues as the station suffered from a 14 percent general absenteeism rate. Bloom said he would campaign with local DA councillors in the area to have the station commander removed.
“We will mobilise the community for him to go as he does not seem to do the job he is supposed to do.”
While Mariemuthoo referred queries on the matter to the provincial SAPS communications team, he said he would be approaching his lawyers on this issue.
Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said he would first discuss the matter with the newly appointed provincial commissioner, Major-General Deliwe de Lange, before commenting.
* In June 2013, a media report revealed the Benoni area was left without a station commander after Brigadier Mariemuthoo left it amid complaints of prolonged absence from duty. This was after he was transferred to Jeppestown police station.
Figures revealed in the Gauteng legislature at the time showed that during his tenure in Benoni, Mariemuthoo had taken 106 days' sick leave, 39 days' study leave, 122 days' normal vacation and capped leave, and three days' family responsibility leave.
After police investigations, his salary was frozen for a month and he was removed from his post. He was reinstated following a Labour Court ruling, and later transferred to Jeppestown police station. - Additional reporting by Shain Germaner
The Star