Brigadier muzzle whistleblowers
Every SAPS member of the local police station, was forced to sign a non-disclosure form, subjecting them to immediate disciplinary sanctions, and effectively barring them from talking to the Middelburg Observer.
The gag order was a directive from local station commander of the SAPS, brigadier Jansen Ngoveni, and a number of police officials signed the order late last year, after a number of controversial stories and comments relating to brigadier Ngoveni’s official conduct.
But, following two articles, detailing his son’s involvement in a collision with brigadier Ngoveni’s double cab bakkie on December 23, the ante was upped by the top cop who even silenced court orderlies following publication.
The order came on the back of an earlier leak of the directive ordering all SAPS members to down tools and clean offices on Wednesday afternoon.
Brigadier Ngoveni’s son, Rodney, born in 1994, lost control behind the wheel shortly after 11:00 on the said day, and demolished the security walls and entrance gates of two houses, before coming to an halt against a tree.
According to a docket that was opened, containing a statement by the brigadier, stating he arrived at the scene of the collision to find his son on the grass.
He laid a complaint against Rodney for taking his bakkie without permission, but the case never made it to court.
It is believed that brigadier Ngoveni, solely opened the case for insurance purposes and pulled strings to have the docket shelved.
Shortly after the paper hit the streets, a source within the SAPS, confirmed that it was indeed his son that caused the collision and confirmed a docket had been opened.
His disregard for proper police procedure has now led to a barrage of criticism against the top cop who is supposed to uphold the law, and not bend it to his whims.
It is not the first time that brigadier Ngoveni has raised the ire of his fellow uniformed colleagues.
•In September last year, a convoy, including the car of the brigadier, blockaded an ambulance on the N4 carrying a critically injured woman, who later died in hospital.
Five others burnt to death in the same collision which made national headlines.
Anonymous police officers commented via the Observer SMS line, how ashamed they were of having him as their leader.
They went as far as to openly call for him to pack up and go, to spare them further embarrassment.
•In November, the bodies of two hi-jack victims were found in a mine shaft where they were dumped by the assailants.
A barefooted brigadier Ngoveni hung onto a colleague atop a rock, waiting for the bodies to be retrieved.
He blocked the paper from doing its job, relying on policemen on the scene to intimidate the journalist.
•When w/o Jaco (Trompie) Tromp, suddenly passed away in November, the brigadier’s subordinates had nothing flattering to say about his conduct when w/o Tromp fell down, meters from the police station due to a massive stroke.
Brigadier Ngoveni called him over to where he was standing, and openly humiliated the detective whom he said was drunk. Brigadier Ngoveni went as far as to take his service pistol from him, saying that he was endangering the lives w/o Tromp had protected with such dignity during his career as police officer.
•Then came the flying bricks in December with his son’s foot on the accelerator, and the consequent cover-up and lies, in an attempt to distance himself from the incident. Brigadier Ngoveni now arrives at work with a small sedan.
•Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, provincial SAPS spokesman, told the Observer that the member who confirmed that a docket containing brigadier Ngoveni’s written statement, breached police protocol of confidentiality.
He said there were two issues at play: (1) That avenues existed for the homeowners to claim damages through the court, and (2) that it would be premature to say the case is not under investigation.
The paper supplied him with the case number, and he promised to look into the matter, but since Tuesday, he simply let his phone go unanswered and his full mailbox, prevents the paper from leaving prompts for reply.
Read previous stories on the Brigadier:
Opvolg: Brigadier ondervra joernaliste
