Sipho Masombuka and Pertunia Ratsatsi

Sipho Masombuka and Pertunia Ratsatsi

The public protector is investigating a complaint by a 24-year-old woman whose job offer with the South African Police Service was withdrawn because her father is a senior superintendent with the VIP protection unit.

Mpho Utla, of Mafikeng in North West, said she had applied for the post of administration clerk and was offered the job after an interview.

She was due to start work on October 1 last year at Maupa Naga building, which houses the unit in Sunnyside, Pretoria.

Utla said she was shocked when she was called for another interview at the VIP protection unit offices.

"I was interrogated and most of the questions were about my father. I was even forced to undergo a polygraph test," she said.

A senior official in the unit told her mother that the offer was withdrawn because employing her daughter would be tantamount to nepotism.

Galalelo Masibi, the spokesman for the public protector, said they could only divulge their findings and not the details of the investigation.