The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape has expressed concern over alleged remarks made by Brigadier Nokuzola Pete, the newly appointed station commander at the Paarl police station, on social media. In these comments, she purportedly asserted the existence of "white domination" at the station and expressed a desire to change this demographic.

Pete posted on Facebook earlier this week about the year-end gathering of the Boland police district, engaging in a conversation in the comments section with a colleague, a lieutenant colonel from another station. In one of her comments, Pete claimed that the financial department of the Paarl police station lacked a lieutenant colonel and encouraged her colleague to apply for a transfer.

"Submit the application and say you want to be transferred to Paarl's financial department. We will sign it so that we can change this white dominance because Paarl is white," read Pete's comment.

Although the original post has since been removed, screenshots have been widely circulated on social media, notably by Ian Cameron, associated with the organization Action Society.

Cameron's post questioned the propriety of a full-fledged police brigadier instructing other officers to apply for transfers to make a station less white. He highlighted the potential outcry if a white police officer were to request that a station be made "more white."

Cameron also recently exposed the state having spent nearly R1 million over 17 months for Major General Sizakhele William Dyantyi, the commander of the West Coast police district, to stay at a three-star hotel. The hotel costs between R50,000 and R57,000 monthly. Cameron, points out the contradiction of luxury accommodation expenses amid budget cuts for basic supplies at police stations.

Pete's Facebook page was deactivated shortly after media reports on her statements. Gillion Bosman, the DA's spokesperson on community safety and policing in the Western Cape, deemed the comments serious. Bosman, also the chair of the provincial parliamentary portfolio committee on policing in the Western Cape, emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into any claims of white domination or discrimination.

Bosman personally reached out to the provincial police commissioner's office, demanding a careful examination of Pete's statements. He stressed that the party's current understanding is that these comments were made in Pete's personal capacity, but they await feedback from the commissioner regarding any specific underlying issues at the Paarl police station.

The DA insists on an internal disciplinary committee investigating Pete's remarks, expressing deep concern about a senior police officer openly discussing the apparent manipulation of personnel transfers. Brigadier Novela Potelwa, police spokesperson, confirmed that an investigation has been initiated.

The Paarl-West Community Policing Forum (CPF) also expressed concern over Pete's alleged statements, condemning any action by a police officer that undermines trust and working relationships between the CPF and the police. Pete, recently transferred from the Gugulethu police station to Paarl as the station commander, previously held the position at the Caledon police station in the Overberg from 2014 to 2020.