After a nine month vacancy in the Western Cape Police Ombudsman’s office,the SAPS Cluster Commander from Eden, Oswald Reddy has been tipped as favourite to fill the position.
Major General Reddy’s nomination for the position has been rubber stamped by the Western Cape Legislature’s standing committee on Community Safety. A letter has since been sent to the speaker, Masizole Mnqasela, with the committee’s recommendation on Tuesday.
If he gets the job, Reddy will be the province’s third police ombudsman since the office was created when Advocate Vusi Pikoli was appointed to serve for a five-year period back in 2014. Pikoli was later replaced by former Khayelitsha Cluster Commander Major General Johan Brand in 2018 who left the office two years later.
Reddy joined the Eden cluster in 2015 taking over from then commander Major General Tembisile Patekile who was appointed as the provincial police commissioner last month and has been with SAPS for more 30 years.
Committee chairperson Reagan Allen said after deliberations the committee resolved to support the preferred candidate for appointment.
“The position remains the only of its kind in the country, in addition to the function of Independent Police Investigative Directorate and Civilian Police Secretariat and thus acts as an additional measure to ensure the optimal efficiency of the South African Police Service in the Western Cape,” said Allen.
“We look forward to engaging with the newly appointed ombudsman as leader of the office in the best interest of efficiency of police service in the communities.”
Premier Alan Winde’s spokesperson, Cayla Murray said an announcement on an official appointment would be made soon.