The suspension of the Deputy Commissioner of the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD), Umashi Dhlamini, comes as no surprise to the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus).
Dhlamini, who is responsible for finance and administration within the TMPD, was suspended following serious allegations of irregularities that came to light during the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
The investigation focuses specifically on a security tender in which Dhlamini and the Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi (ActionSA), are allegedly implicated.
This is not the first time Dhlamini has been removed on precautionary grounds; he was previously suspended on two occasions following charges of alleged corruption. A prior forensic report also found Dhlamini guilty of maladministration, but the reason why action was not taken at the time remains unclear.
A preliminary disciplinary hearing was already in the pipeline shortly before the Freedom Front Plus’s Grandi Theunissen, then Mayoral Committee Member for Community Safety, was removed by a motion of no confidence.
After that political manoeuvre, the case against Dhlamini appears to have stalled without being finalised.
In the Freedom Front Plus’s view, the suspension is a necessary step to protect the integrity of the investigation. It is, however, concerning that the same official has repeatedly been implicated in similar controversies without consequence management.
It is of cardinal importance that this investigation proceeds freely, fairly and transparently.
Public confidence in the TMPD will only be restored if the whole truth is brought to light and officials are held accountable for their actions.
The Freedom Front Plus will closely monitor the investigation’s progress, expecting that appropriate steps will immediately be taken once the final findings are available.
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