The Western Cape Police Ombudsman (WCPO) is a public entity mandated to independently investigate and seek to resolve people’s complaints against poor police and metro police service in an impartial manner in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
The mandate of the Western Cape Police Ombudsman originates from what provinces are entitled to do in terms of the Constitution, namely: monitoring police conduct; overseeing the effectiveness and efficiency of the police service; and promoting good relations between the police and any community.
The Western Cape Police Ombudsman is overseen by the Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety of the Western Cape provincial government.
Vision
A Western Cape society where there is mutual respect and trust between the people and the police.
Mission
The Western Cape Police Ombudsman seeks to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the police services and to improve relations between the police and the communities by investigating complaints of police inefficiency and / or a breakdown of relations between the police and any community.
Values
- Integrity
- Trust
- Accountability
- Fairness
- Quality
- Dedication
- Respect
- Partnerships
- Empathy
Team
Western Cape Police Ombudsman’s dedicated team will provide you with an impartial and independent opportunity to lodge complaints relating to allegations of poor service delivery received from the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape province.
The office was established following the enactment of the Western Cape Community Safety Act of 2013.
The legal authority for its establishment is to be found in Chapter 11 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa particularly sections 206(3) & (5) read with schedule 4 of the Constitution on “Functional areas of concurrent national and provincial legislative competence”.
Whilst the office of the Police Ombudsman is established in the Department of Community Safety in terms of section of 10(1), its independence and impartiality is guaranteed by section 14(1) which states: “the Ombudsman and staff members of the Ombudsman must serve independently and impartially and must perform their functions in good faith and without fear, favour, bias or prejudice, subject to the Constitution and the law”.
Overseeing Department/Entity
Office Bearers/Management
| CEO: | Gen Oswald Reddy (Ombudsman) |
| CFO: | n/a |
| Senior Management: | – Nadia Arabi (Deputy Director: Head of Office) – Deidre Foster (Head of Office) – Geraldine Isaacs (Assistant Director: Operations) – Abigail Lewis (Assistant Director: Investigations) – Zwelenkosi Matwa (Assistant Director: Investigations) |
| Communications Officers: | – Diedre Foster (Spokesperson: WC Ombudsman) – Marcellino Martin (Spokesperson for Minister Reagen Allen) |
Contact Details
The contact details of the Western Cape Police Ombudsman (WCPO) are listed in the table below.
| Physical Address: | 6th Floor, Waldorf Building, 80 St Georges Mall, Cape Town, 8001 |
| Postal Address: | P.O. Box 5346, Cape Town, 8000 |
| Telephone: | 021 483 0669 |
| Email: | ombudsman@wcpo.gov.za |
| Website: | www.westerncape.gov.za/police-ombudsman |
