The New Brighton station commander has been ordered to appear in court in connection with charges of fraud and corruption arising from the procurement of furniture for the police station.
A summons has been served on Colonel Vuyisiwe Vivian Tembani, warning her to appear on May 3.
The decision to institute charges against Tembani comes less than a year after more than 2,000 residents signed a petition — handed over to acting district commissioner Brigadier Thandiswa Kupiso — calling for her to be removed.
The Herald has seen the notice of rights that Tembani signed shortly after 3pm on Monday.
According to the document, she has been charged with fraud and corruption.
An inscription in the docket states that the charges relate to the procurement of furniture at the police station.
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Tembinkosi Kinana confirmed that a summons had been served on a “senior SA Police Services officer” who is stationed in Gqeberha.
Kinana did not name the suspect but said the officer in question had been warned to appear in the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court on May 3.
“This follows after allegations of fraud and corruption were made,” he said.
“The investigation into the matter is, however, still under way, and for this reason this office is not at liberty to provide more details at this stage.”
A source close to the investigation but who cannot be named said it was alleged that Tembani had used her mandated powers to buy furniture for the police station.
According to the source, some of the items that had to be procured allegedly never reached the station.
It was further alleged that Tembani might have gained financially from the procurement.
Contacted for comment on Wednesday, Tembani said she was not authorised to speak to the media and instead referred the reporter back to Kinana.
The petition calling for the station commander’s removal was organised by committee members of the Blawa Task Team in June 2021.
Signatories said at the time that New Brighton residents were constantly under threat from drug addicts.
They alleged that Tembani was scuttling their efforts to defend themselves and from ousting the suspected criminals.
They cited the killings of Garrison Snayers and another unnamed e-hailing driver, who were shot dead in the township, and said that New Brighton residents regularly fell prey to robberies and housebreakings.
However, Tembani’s efforts in finding Snayers’ killers were hailed by the police, with a report stating that she had spent “tireless and sleepless nights” tracking down those responsible for the murder in February 2021.
Tembani had set up a task team to hunt down the suspects, who were subsequently arrested.
The case is still before court.
But Blawa Task team leader Mike Bukani said the allegations against Tembani came as no surprise.
“There is no trust between the station commander and the community.
“We want her head to roll because we deserve better.
“After handing over our petition, we have not heard anything from the authority.
“We demand answers,” Bukani said.
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