A student traffic cop who was among the 32 trainees whose contracts were mysteriously terminated by the department of transport, safety and liaison in Northern Cape has committed suicide.
Dineo Makatong (35), a married officer, committed suicide after plunging into depression over the termination of their contracts.
Sunday World learnt that Makatong, a consistently high-achieving trainee known for receiving distinctions, took her own life due to stress by hanging herself. “The pressure was too much on her,” one source said.
Gripe escalated to premier
This burst onto the public domain a letter the aggrieved cops wrote to Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul to investigate the circumstances surrounding their dismissal and how the R19.5-million earmarked for their training and employment was utilised. The allegation that one of the cops committed suicide was corroborated by Public Servants Association (PSA) provincial manager Steve Ledibane in a statement last week.
“These young people were recruited with promises of employment, yet they remain unemployed, carrying the weight of debt, humiliation and despair. This betrayal has torn families apart, forced parents into crippling loans, and led to the tragic suicide of one trainee,” the PSA said in a statement by Ledibane, who also alleged discriminatory practices.
Ledibane demanded “urgent answers and immediate corrective action” from Saul and the department, including “the appointment of all 32 trainees, the release of certificates, and a full forensic investigation.”
Training funds allocated
In 2023, the department initiated a programme to address traffic safety capacity constraints in the province by training 50 traffic officers at Matjhabeng Traffic Training Academy. It allocated R19.5-million for the programme, which included funding for training, stipends, and subsequent employment of the officers.
The trainees signed contracts stipulating that they would work for the department for three years upon completing the course or repay the full cost of the programme if they failed to fulfil this obligation. The programme began in January 2024, with trainees undertaking various modules at the academy.
Complications arose when some trainees failed two modules. The department intervened, requesting the academy to enrol the trainees in a remedial programme to address the failed modules.
The academy complied, covering the costs of the remedial programme, and the trainees completed their final assessments in June 2025.
Contracts unduly terminated
Despite this, the department terminated the contracts of the 32 trainees in December 2024, citing a clause in their employment contracts that allows for termination in cases of trainees failing the course or misconduct.
However, the trainees argue in the letter to Saul that they did not fail the course but only specific modules, which they later successfully completed through the remedial programme. Furthermore, they claim they were not subjected to any disciplinary hearings or found guilty of misconduct.
The termination of the contracts has raised serious concerns about the management of public funds. Of the R19.5-million allocated for the programme, only 16 traffic officers have been appointed, leaving the remaining 32 trainees unemployed despite completing their training.
The department has since appointed a second group of traffic officers who were not part of the original training programme, further complicating the situation and raising questions about the efficiency and fairness of resource allocation.
The 32 traffic officers have requested urgent intervention from Saul to address the situation. They are calling for the department to collect their certificates from Matjhabeng Traffic Training Academy and appoint them as traffic officers, as stipulated in their contracts. They have also requested that their appointments be backdated to July this year, reflecting the completion of their training.
