New Provincial Police Ombudsman hits the road running | Western Cape Government

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New Provincial Police Ombudsman hits the road running

25 October 2021

It gives me immense pleasure to report that the new Western Cape Provincial Police Ombudsman, Retired Major General Oswald Reddy, has formally taken up office and is hard at work.

Gen. Reddy has served SAPS for more than 39 years, including 19 years as a Major General. He has worked in the Western Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng. He holds a number of formal qualifications, including a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University in the USA; a Bachelor of Laws degree from UNISA; a National Diploma in Police Administration from Technikon RSA; and more.

His most recent appointment at the SAPS was as Commander of the Eden Cluster on the Garden Route.

Since its inception in 2013, the Ombudsman has reported on more 3500 cases, ranging from system issues pertaining to the inadequate allocation of SAPS resources to specific areas; to helping individuals to get SAPS to act where there is a breakdown in service delivery. In greater detail, some of the cases over the years have included:

  • A complainant who was arrested by members of the SAPS for being a part of a car theft syndicate, even though she gave plausible reasons to the contrary;
  • A complainant was assaulted and after reporting the matter to SAPS, nothing came of the case;
  • A complainant alleged that his son was murdered and that the case was not properly investigated by the SAPS;
  • A complainant alleged that members of the SAPS confiscated his legally obtained firearm without providing reasons;
  • A complainant alleged that she contacted the SAPS Sector Cellphone but was told by the officer answering the phone that SAPS was unable to assist and that she should go to the police station.

The cases investigated by the Ombudsman are cases that we are quite familiar with. Everybody knows somebody who reported a matter at the local police station and then never heard anything from the SAPS again. The SAPS is filled with many hardworking police officers, but we also know that we don’t always get the best service or support. The work of the Ombudsman is to provide an avenue of recourse to citizens who find themselves in the position of needing assistance from SAPS but who then receive an unacceptable level of service. It is an avenue available to all citizens in the Province, and I want to encourage everyone to make use of it.

I would like to thank Gen. Reddy for taking on this responsibility. We look forward to the wealth of expertise that he is going to bring to the Office of the Ombudsman. We are also very excited at the service he will render to the many members of our communities who are in need of this service from the Ombudsman. At the end of the day, it is for them that we do what we do!

Members of the public who wish to make use of the services of the Provincial Police Ombudsman can contact the Office of the Ombudsman at 021 483 0669 or email at ombudsman@wcpo.gov.za  

 

Media Enquiries: 

 

Wade Seale

Spokesperson to Minister Albert Fritz

Tel: 021 483 3781

Cell: 072 889 8122

Email: Wade.Seale@westerncape.gov.za