GroundUp reports that the SA Police Service (SAPS) has been ordered to pay R300,000 in compensation to a senior police officer for failing to take action against two subordinates who “disparaged and humiliated her” and falsely accused her of racism.

Johannesburg Labour Court Judge Portia Nkutha-Nkontwana has also ordered SAPS to apologise, in writing, to Lt Col Annemarie Oosthuizen for the indignity she suffered as a result of the racial abuse. The judge said police management had “dismally failed” to put a stop to the “racial harassment” of her, instead doing everything to protect the perpetrators and thereby being vicariously liable. Oosthuizen, who was represented by trade union Solidarity, argued that the Employment Equity Act (EEA) prohibited unfair discrimination in the workplace, and yet the respondents, SAPS, the Minister of Police and National Commissioner of Police, had failed to deal with her grievances. She was the commander of human resources at Klerksdorp police station in 2017 when she took “corrective action” against two warrant officers because of their absenteeism. In her ruling, Judge Nkutha-Nkontwana said it was “absolutely clear” that Oosthuizen had been racially harassed by the two warrant officers who were motivated by insubordination and animus. The judge said it was apparent that the bosses at SAPS were oblivious to their statutory duties in terms of the EEA. When they should have taken all steps to eliminate the racial harassment, they had, instead, acted in a partial manner, protecting the perpetrators at the expense of the victim. She ordered that the respondents pay Solidarity’s costs.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tania Broughton at GroundUp

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