On Monday, after frustrating attempts to communicate with incoming Western Cape Police Commissioner Lt-Gen. Yolisa Matakata's office, I emailed her front-of-office person Mr J Jacob, “Gen. Matakata, purportedly brought in as a new broom, has no control over her office”.
The reason for this outburst is on January 7 I sent her a letter complaining about Woodstock detectives' refusal to open criminal charges of corruption against officers of the Health Professions Council including a medical board member, Elmin Steyn, Stellenbosch and Tygerberg Hospital head of surgery. The alleged conduct meets the requirements of corrupt activities under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
(I notified the HPCSA's CEO/registrar Dr Raymond Billa mid-2019 there was a possibility of corrupt activities but he did nothing and didn't report it to the police as the Act requires. The SIU is investigating the HPCSA for bribery for medical licences. Ironically, the HPCSA, SIU, SAPS and NPA are members of the recently formed Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum.)
On October 28 Woodstock Police Station reluctantly accepted my affidavit after an hour pleading and cajoling. Two months before another station had declined. That week detective Warrant Officer Smith phoned and said they had requested Cape Town's Director of Public Prosecutions for a meeting regarding the case number.
But in an emailed letter to me on January 7, the DPP denied SAPS had had any discussions with or they had received requests. (I had separately informed the DPP about the corruption complaint because of my experience with the police. And the present complaint is indirectly related to an open inquest case regarding my late mother's death at Groote Schuur Hospital in 2017. The DPP referred me to SAPS as the first port of call.)
In December I emailed the office of the outgoing commissioner about Woodstock, i.e. I still no case number and there was no response from the detectives. There was no response.
So when I heard of the alleged no nonsense Matakata's appointment, I had a small hope she, or more accurately, her staff would be imbued with the same sense of purpose the media, including Sunday Times’ article on January 19, attribute to her.
Instead my phone conversation with Jacobs Monday (he doesn't forward emails) and another officer show the police, including at the top, have the familiar ineptitude, lethargy and reluctance to obey the law they've always had.
It appears despite my complaint about Woodstock been clearly stated, they chose to misunderstand, confuse things further and do nothing. Either they don't understand English, or as I wrote Jacobs, "It concerns me SAPS thinks the public, and me in this case, incapable of logical thought".
Since the corruption complaint indirectly relates to the inquest the Cape Town Inquest Magistrate Court is yet to review, in effect SAPS’ – Woodstock and commissioner’s office – refusal or inability to open a case in effect is obstruction of justice and denies the public their legal right to open cases. I told Jacobs so. There was no response.
A former policeman turned private investigator told me, "I have work because my former colleagues are so incompetent".
The Western Cape public mustn't expect anything different from Matakata. Perhaps she is better personally than her predecessor and colleagues. But my and public’s experiences show the police is fatally compromised.
The reason for this outburst is on January 7 I sent her a letter complaining about Woodstock detectives' refusal to open criminal charges of corruption against officers of the Health Professions Council including a medical board member, Elmin Steyn, Stellenbosch and Tygerberg Hospital head of surgery. The alleged conduct meets the requirements of corrupt activities under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
(I notified the HPCSA's CEO/registrar Dr Raymond Billa mid-2019 there was a possibility of corrupt activities but he did nothing and didn't report it to the police as the Act requires. The SIU is investigating the HPCSA for bribery for medical licences. Ironically, the HPCSA, SIU, SAPS and NPA are members of the recently formed Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum.)
On October 28 Woodstock Police Station reluctantly accepted my affidavit after an hour pleading and cajoling. Two months before another station had declined. That week detective Warrant Officer Smith phoned and said they had requested Cape Town's Director of Public Prosecutions for a meeting regarding the case number.
But in an emailed letter to me on January 7, the DPP denied SAPS had had any discussions with or they had received requests. (I had separately informed the DPP about the corruption complaint because of my experience with the police. And the present complaint is indirectly related to an open inquest case regarding my late mother's death at Groote Schuur Hospital in 2017. The DPP referred me to SAPS as the first port of call.)
In December I emailed the office of the outgoing commissioner about Woodstock, i.e. I still no case number and there was no response from the detectives. There was no response.
So when I heard of the alleged no nonsense Matakata's appointment, I had a small hope she, or more accurately, her staff would be imbued with the same sense of purpose the media, including Sunday Times’ article on January 19, attribute to her.
Instead my phone conversation with Jacobs Monday (he doesn't forward emails) and another officer show the police, including at the top, have the familiar ineptitude, lethargy and reluctance to obey the law they've always had.
It appears despite my complaint about Woodstock been clearly stated, they chose to misunderstand, confuse things further and do nothing. Either they don't understand English, or as I wrote Jacobs, "It concerns me SAPS thinks the public, and me in this case, incapable of logical thought".
Since the corruption complaint indirectly relates to the inquest the Cape Town Inquest Magistrate Court is yet to review, in effect SAPS’ – Woodstock and commissioner’s office – refusal or inability to open a case in effect is obstruction of justice and denies the public their legal right to open cases. I told Jacobs so. There was no response.
A former policeman turned private investigator told me, "I have work because my former colleagues are so incompetent".
The Western Cape public mustn't expect anything different from Matakata. Perhaps she is better personally than her predecessor and colleagues. But my and public’s experiences show the police is fatally compromised.
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