Cop on trial for torture made colonel and promoted to station commander
Delmore Manuel and two others are accused of torturing a barber at his workplace in Mowbray in 2023. Now he runs Muizenberg SAPS
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Delmore Manuel, out on bail, leaving the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court after appearing in a torture case. Now he runs Muizenberg SAPS. Archive photo: David Harrison
- Colonel Delmore Manuel is one of three police officers on trial for the torture of a man in Mowbray in 2023.
- Now he has been promoted to colonel and made permanent station commander at Muizenberg SAPS.
- MP Nicholas Gotsell has questioned Manuel’s promotion and called on provincial commissioner Sizakhele Dyantyi “to do better” and to rebuild the confidence of Western Cape communities in the police.
One of three police officers on trial for the torture of a man in Mowbray has been promoted to colonel and made permanent station commander at Muizenberg.
Colonel Delmore Manuel is currently awaiting trial at the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court alongside two others, constable Jermaine Conradie and constable Leigh-Ann Maroon. They are accused of repeatedly assaulting barber Juma Igiraneza during a raid at his workplace in Mowbray on 7 November 2023. The assault was caught on CCTV. The three officers are out on bail.
In a WhatsApp message circulated this week by the South African Policing Union (SAPU), Manuel was praised and congratulated on his appointment as station commander at Muizenberg. The message called the promotion “well-deserved recognition of your discipline, integrity and exceptional service”.
Responding to GroundUp about the appointment and court case involving Manuel, SAPU acting provincial secretary Merae Otto said, “As SAPU we are aware of the member’s promotion, however SAPU is not aware, nor able to comment on matters which are sub judice.”
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) provincial secretary Mluleki Mbhele said, “Unfortunately, promotional matters are employer-employee based and do not involve the trade union until such time there exists a dispute between the parties.”
GroundUp has repeatedly asked SAPS about the officers’ court case, their employment status, and disciplinary processes after the 2023 assault. Police have replied that these are “internal processes between the employer and employee and treated as such. The outcome of disciplinary processes is not discussed in the public domain.”
On Tuesday, colonel Andrè Traut, SAPS provincial spokesperson, only responded: “Kindly be advised that your enquiry is currently under review. Once the necessary information has been sourced, this office will respond with a comment.”
No further response has been received.
It was only in response to questions in parliament that the police minister confirmed that Manuel and his two co-accused underwent disciplinary proceedings in June 2024 but remained on active duty.
Manuel was found not guilty in the SAPS disciplinary process.
This week, from DA MP Nicholas Gotsell told GroundUp: “The issue is not whether he is guilty; he remains entitled to the presumption of innocence. The issue is whether SAPS knew that an officer facing serious criminal charges, including a torture charge arising from the alleged assault of a barber, was before court when it promoted him from lieutenant colonel to colonel and formally appointed him station commander of Muizenberg SAPS.”
Gotsell added that there were systemic disciplinary problems within SAPS, including cases involving members accused or convicted of serious misconduct.
He called on lieutenant-general Sizakhele Dyantyi, as the new provincial commissioner, “to do better” and to rebuild the confidence of Western Cape communities in the police.
“SAPS must explain who approved Manuel’s promotion … This is not about prejudging Manuel’s guilt. It is about whether SAPS is serious about ethical leadership and holding its own members to the standards it expects the public to trust.”
“The Muizenberg SAPS jurisdiction includes serious crime areas such as Vrygrond and Overcome Heights. These communities are crippled by gang activity and violence. What confidence does this appointment inspire with these communities?” asked Gotsell.
The trial is set for May 2027, three and a half years after the Mowbray barber was assaulted.
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© 2026 GroundUp. This article is published under the GroundUp Republication Licence Version 1.0. Email [email protected] to request permission to republish.