THE commanders of four Limpopo police stations have been charged for manipulating crime statistics to make it look as if they are hard workers.

After intensive investigations spanning several months, management of the South African Police Service took a decision to charge four station commanders with defeating the ends of justice.

The four are accused of manipulating crime statistics to appear as if crime in their areas is dropping and that they are in control of the streets.

The investigations started after Tzaneen police station was found to have cooked their own crime figures while deliberately covering up serious cases in 2008. Assistant commissioner of the station Khazamula Ngoveni was accused of manipulating statistics in order to convince the SAPS management that his station had brought down crime in the area. Ngoveni, who has since moved to another station, was never charged criminally.

The method used to create a false impression of effectiveness included murder cases being reduced to inquests and housebreaking to trespassing.

The four policemen charged have already appeared in court.

Brigadier Naledzani Julia Sivhula, 48, Captain Matome Jonathan Matsapola, 51, Brigadier Nelson Mulaudzi, 50, and Lieutenant-Colonel Mahlodi William Ramokgobedi, 49, appeared in the Polokwane Magistrate's Court on Thursday charged with defeating the ends of justice.

They were all released on warning and will appear again on January 20 next year. They were ordered to inform the investigating officer should there be any change in their residential addresses.

Police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi confirmed yesterday that the four had been charged with defeating the ends of justice for manipulating crime statistics.

"It is true that management of the SAPS has charged the four top police officers for manipulating crime statistics. Investigations into their activities are continuing," said Mulaudzi.

It is not clear what the time period for the manipulations are and police say it will become clear when their investigations are completed.

Sivhula used to head e Polokwane police station. Matsapola replaced her at the same station.

Mulaudzi headed the Mankweng station, while Ramokgobedi replaced him at the same station.

They had since been moved to other stations in the province to ensure they did not interfere with investigations against them.

Sowetan has learnt that the officers would overlook some criminal activities taking place in their areas and not record them in their systems. This was done in order to create an impression that the areas were experiencing less crime.

For instance, a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm would be recorded as common assault. Cases of housebreakings would not be recorded despite the fact that victims had opened cases.

Some of the reported robbery cases would not be followed up and the robbers would escape charges scot-free.

According to Mulaudzi, after completion of the cases against the officers, the provincial police commissioner would decide on their fate.

Mulaudzi said they would do everything in their power to ensure that the cases that had been mishandled were followed up.

The spokesman for Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, Zweli Mnisi, said they viewed the allegations in a very serious light.

"We cannot afford to have station commanders who are supposed to communicate a true reflection of crime trends or statistics doing the opposite by manipulating them," Mnisi said.

He said that two years ago the commander of Mountain Rise police station in KwaZulu-Natal was charged criminally and ultimately dismissed from work for manipulating statistics.