MOSSEL BAY NEWS - During the police imbizo held at the Herbertsdale Community Hall in School Street on Thursday 12 February, it was revealed that the Western Cape was the only province in South Africa to have a police ombudsman.
The current ombudsman, the retired Major General Oswald Reddy, has served for five years, and previously served as the Eden Police Cluster Commander.
His term as ombudsman will end in 2026.
What is an ombudsman?
First established in 2014, the aim of the Western Cape Police Ombudsman (WCPO) is to address inefficiencies of police service as an independent and impartial entity.
The WCPO works to improve relations between the police and the communities they serve by investigating submitted complaints of police inefficiency and/or a breakdown of relations between the police and a community.
Who can lodge a complaint?
- A member of the public, including foreign nationals and tourists visiting the Western Cape who are dissatisfied with the police's service.
- Any member of the Provincial Parliament.
- Any organised civil society.
- Any other department or organisation.
How to lodge a complaint with the WCPO
During the imbizo, Reddy explained that only submitted complaints may be investigated and that if, for example, the media were to report on police inefficiencies, but no complaints were registered with the WCPO, it would be unable to look into the matter.
A complaint can be submitted by filling in a form available on wcpopublic.westerncape.gov.za.
The WCPO can also be contacted directly on 021 483 0669 or [email protected].
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