Mitchells Plain Station Commander Brigadier Cass Goolam is back in the office three months after he was suspended.
Goolam and 13 other senior police officers were suspended at Mitchells Plain Police Station after 15 firearms disappeared from the cop shop.
A committee consisting of Reverend Henry Bothman, Dr Randall Petersen, Joanie Fredericks, Warda Cay and Ashley Potts started a Facebook page called “The Return of Brigadier Cass Goolam” and held protests outside the police station every week, lobbying for his reinstatement.
They also questioned why no commanders were suspended at Bellville South Police Station after 18 guns went missing from there in August.
Goolam’s suspension was lifted on Wednesday and he was back at work yesterday.
Provincial Police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, told the Daily Voice they could not comment on Goolam’s return as it was an internal matter: “Kindly be advised that matters pertaining to our staff complement are not discussed with the media.”
Goolam said he was not in a position to comment on his situation.
Potts, the deputy chairperson of the Community Policing Forum, says they are elated at Goolam’s return because shootings in Mitchells Plain had increased since he left.
“When a bullet goes off, he dispatches,” says Potts.
“They made a decision which wasn’t the right one, they damaged the station and the relationships [Goolam had with people] and there is no way we can reverse the murders that took place while he was gone.
“There is a dynamic atmosphere in the office, he had gang strategies in place before.”