A former high-ranking police officer, Mzwandile Tiyo, has been fired from the police service. Tiyo, who held the rank of Major General, was dismissed after an investigation found he was unfit for the position.
The investigation followed an incident where Tiyo lost his gun and laptop while at a tavern in Mbekweni, near Cape Town. It was discovered that he misused his position by using police resources to track suspects he allegedly kidnapped and assaulted, but he never reported this to the authorities.
Ian Cameron, the chairperson of the Portfolio on Police, criticized Tiyo for abusing state resources and said his actions showed a lack of respect for his role. Cameron emphasized that removing Tiyo is a step towards improving the police force’s reputation and vowed to continue addressing misconduct.
Tiyo’s career had previously been marked by controversy, including accusations of mishandling a rape case and being linked to the murder of a top detective, Charl Kinnear, who was killed three years ago.
“The dismissal of Tiyo is tangible proof that misconduct of any form will not be accepted within the service. This is the first step in regaining credibility in the eyes of the community and will assure the people that SAPS will conduct their work ethically and within the code of conduct,” said Cameron.