Alfred Moselakgomo

Alfred Moselakgomo

A senior white police officer at a Mpumalanga police station has been accused of practising racism by black police officers.

Head of the Nelspruit police station's local circuit record centre, Superintendent Leon Fouche, has been accused of being "hell bent on getting rid of black officers" from his department.

He allegedly locked the safes and toilets and insisted that every time black officers wanted to use them, they should first get permission from their white counterparts.

The superintendent also charged a constable with misconduct for allegedly ignoring his instructions.

In the charge sheet, Fouche accused Mjozi Motau of unacceptable conduct towards his seniors. Motau allegedly entered the white-dominated fifth floor of the police station without completing the access register.

He refused to do so because he saw no need to sign as his white colleagues were not expected to follow the procedure.

Motau's case has angered black junior officers with some threatening to challenge their boss if he continued with his attitude. The disgruntled officers, who preferred to speak on conditions of anonymity, claimed Fouche was "a racist who does everything in his power to get rid of black officers".

They said that could be clearly seen when it came to performance and enhancement programme assessments.

"As our commander, Fouche does not use the same format and procedure as stipulated when he deals with programme in relation to black officers," said one officer.

He claimed Fouche "always gives blacks low marks compared to our white colleagues and therefore putting them (whites) in line for promotion."

Nelspruit police station commissioner Director Vusi Mdakane said he was not aware of the complaints agains Fouche.

Fouche refused to comment yesterday and referred queries to the provincial head of local circuit record centre Piet van Wyk, whose phone was off.