MPUMALANGA – It is still unclear whether Mpumalanga Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Dephney Manamela will be suspended after national Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola’s alleged intention to suspend her dominated news headlines.
According to reports, the “no-nonsense” policewoman from Middelburg was given until Thursday, May 23, 2024, to provide reasons to the national commissioner why she should not be suspended. This follows allegations of using state vehicles without authorization and installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in her office at the provincial police headquarters.
On election day, May 29, the PC was on duty ensuring her charges were ready to handle incidents that might threaten the peace and stability of the elections in the province.
During a media briefing on Thursday, May 30, a question was posed to Manamela regarding her suspension. “I am here, I am working, and I am on duty. That should be sufficient to answer your question,” she responded to journalists.
Manamela, who took over the reins in 2021, was suspended in February 2023 due to allegations of receiving gifts from her subordinates. On March 27, 2023, she returned to work after the Gauteng High Court Division set aside her suspension, declaring it unlawful.
Upon hearing of Masemola’s intention to suspend Manamela, a group of Middelburg residents, mostly women, marched to the Middelburg Police Station to deliver a memorandum addressed to Minister Bheki Cele.
The marchers stated that Manamela was targeted because of her hard work, which resulted in the disruption of illicit trade happening via the N4 corridor from Mozambique, illegal mining activities, and reduced cash-in-transit heists in the province.
Attempts to obtain a reaction from Athlenda Mathe, national police spokesperson, were unsuccessful, as she simply ignored questions sent by the paper before going to print.
