Atlantis residents hail police chief's suspension over alleged sexual harassment

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Cape Town – Atlantis police commander Michael Ledimo has been removed from the station amid a pending sexual harassment investigation, a decision hailed by women and child rights non-profit organisation Philisa Abafazi Bethu (Healing Our Women). The station commander has been accused of sexually assaulting a female subordinate for two years, along with another female in the area. Residents staged a picket outside the police station on Wednesday and yesterday, calling for the top cop’s removal. A memorandum of grievances was also handed to police head of legal services Felix Mbeki. A smaller group also picketed in support of Ledimo, saying he had managed to improve the fight against crime in the community. Provincial police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said: “Following the reporting of a sexual harassment case against the commander of Atlantis police station, Western Cape SAPS management took a decision to move the alleged implicated member in order to allow the investigation to unfold unhindered.”

She announced yesterday that an acting station commander had been appointed to ensure service delivery was not hampered.

“The SAPS management views the allegations levelled against the commander in a serious light and wishes to ensure that both the internal disciplinary as well as the criminal investigations are not compromised, hence two experienced managers are probing the allegations.

“We would refrain from communicating further on the matter until the investigations are finalised. As a law enforcement agency committed to rooting out all forms of crime, including those targeting women and children, we wish to reiterate our commitment to support victims of crime and ensuring their cases are properly investigated,” said Potelwa.

Ledimo did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

Philisa Abafazi Bethu director Lucinda Evans said: “We welcome the news of him being removed from Atlantis police station and don’t want to see him at any other police station.

"He has shown that women are not safe around him, because he is using his power of command and control. The action taken to move him is not enough.

"The police minister and president pledged 365 days’ protection of women, so they must deal with their own,” said Evans.

She also called for a gender-based violence watching brief for the Atlantis station to see that the alleged victim did not experience secondary victimisation and intimidation by any of her colleagues.

Protest organiser Rina Muller echoed Evans’ sentiments and said if it was a community member who was accused of sexual harassment, the accused would be in jail.

Cape Times