KwaZulu-Natal police officers are under fire after they were seen escorting a matric pupil to a farewell party using a state vehicle.

Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi wants action to be taken against the officers who were on duty at the time when they were captured on video arriving at the function in Estcourt.

He has called for them to be temporarily removed from operations, pending internal investigation on their conduct. They were apparently transporting a colleague’s child.

“I have instructed the district commissioner of Uthukela to ensure that the immediate commander of the officers involved take urgent disciplinary steps against them. We cannot afford to have police officers who report for duty but use state resources for their personal gain,” said Mkhwanazi.

“I have further instructed our finance and supply chain management officers to determine the financial loss that the state could have suffered by that unauthorised activity. State petrol, state time and running cost of that vehicle should be claimed from those members.

“Communities always complain that when they call police stations they are told that there are no vans, whilst police officers are galavanting with state resources that are meant to serve the communities.”

SowetanLIVE