The cop’s application to ConCourt to have this overturned was heard on March 20 but acting Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke reserved his judgment. She twice applied unsuccessfully for promotion to superintendent within the police’s National Evaluation Services, which deals with the public’s complaints about the police’s service. Despite recommendations by an interview panel and her divisional commissioner, the national police commissioner did not appoint her to the position. He said it would negatively affect racial representivity at the level of superintendent.
Solidarity deputy general secretary Dirk Hermann said in a statement her resignation has no impact on the legal case. “She experienced more and more in the past couple of months a clash of value systems between herself and the police… She quite strongly believes what she is fighting for is right in a constitutional South Africa, but the continuous efforts by the police to oppose her actions in court is of course very disappointing to her.
“I hope this is a mirror for the police because if someone passionate like Renate resigns from the police, it’s a message that something is wrong in the police. On behalf of the public of South Africa, I can say it must be very disappointed in the fact that she resigned because the public lost a very loyal and passionate police officer.
“I think she’s done a lot to inspire South Africans to fight for what she believes is right. This is a nine-year fight and this led to her resigning from the police, which is very unfortunate.”
