A police whistleblower refuses to have the State Security Agency (SSA) conduct a threat assessment on her because the SSA is involved in the alleged police corruption she exposed.
Patricia Mashale, a former senior administrative clerk at the Free State Department of Firearms, Liquor, and Second-Hand Goods Control, exposed corruption in the SA Police Service, and her allegations implicated senior management officials.
She was later fired and has been in hiding since February.
She and human rights advocate Mary de Haas testified before the Portfolio Committee on Police on Wednesday. Mashale was too afraid to attend in person, so the committee sat virtually to hear the police response to the allegations.
However, Mashale and De Haas were denied the opportunity to present because committee chairperson Tina Joemat-Pettersson stated that the committee needed to receive their documentation in the proper format. Joemat-Pettersson stated that the committee secretary would work with Mashale and De Haas to ensure that new documentation is submitted.
According to De Haas, the officer who compiled the report was also asked to change it by his superiors, but he did not.
According to De Haas, the officer was not found guilty during disciplinary proceedings.
Mashale stated that she only trusted the officer who conducted the initial assessment, but that his commanders had tried to force him to reveal her location.
Joemat-Pettersson eventually stated that if Mashale had lost trust in the police, the SSA, and the committee chairperson, “we cannot call anyone if you do not follow the process.”
According to Joemat-Pettersson:
According to De Haas, the officer who compiled the report was also asked to change it by his superiors, but he did not.
According to De Haas, the officer was not found guilty during disciplinary proceedings.
Mashale stated that she only trusted the officer who conducted the initial assessment, but that his commanders had tried to force him to reveal her location.
Joemat-Pettersson eventually stated that if Mashale had lost trust in the police, the SSA, and the committee chairperson, “we cannot call anyone if you do not follow the process.”
According to Joemat-Pettersson:
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