The police watchdog has to take a serious look at allegations that its staff circulated pornographic jokes, including some about President Thabo Mbeki, on its internal email network, Mbeki's spokesperson, Bheki Khumalo, warned on Thursday.
This followed a report on Wednesday that a senior Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) staffer had laid a charge at Caledon Square against colleagues over pornographic jokes.
Khumalo said although South Africa was a democracy and not a police state, there was a distinction between free speech in a democracy and abuse and insult.
"Our country is a democracy and people will say all things in a democracy," he said.
"However, we have to remember there is a distinction between that and abuse and insult.
"The position of the presidency is that the ICD is going to have to seriously look at this case and take appropriate action."
Omar Lalla, an employee of the Western Cape office of the ICD, on Wednesday laid a complaint with police in which he alleged that his fellow workers had circulated explicit drawings and photographs of a sexual nature.
Lalla said he was particularly disturbed by one depicting children performing sexual acts. There was also a joke about President Mbeki picking up callgirls on the grounds of the Union
Buildings.
