The time Paul O’Sullivan trained Cyril Ramaphosa as a SAPS reservist

Forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has revealed that he trained President Cyril Ramaphosa as a police reservist in 1997. O’Sullivan on Tuesday appeared before parliament’s ad-hoc committee, which is investigating allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system. During his testimony, O’Sullivan detailed his long-standing involvement with law enforcement, spanning his years as a volunteer SAPS police reservist from 1990 to 2002.

During this period, he completed formal detective training and served at the Booysens police station from 1991 to 1996. He received an award for making the most arrests in Johannesburg in 1994. “Particularly, in 1997, I also trained Ramaphosa as a reservist,” O’Sullivan said.

To support his claim, he referenced a newspaper article titled “Cyril becomes weekend warrior in Fairland”, which featured a photograph of Ramaphosa receiving an award from O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan recounted a specific classroom interaction with Ramaphosa. He told the committee that he once asked Ramaphosa a question regarding constitutional rights.

[paywall]

“He asked me, ‘Why are you asking me?’ and I replied, ‘Because you were involved in the drafting of the constitution.’ I then asked him if he agreed with the answer [someone else provided], and he said yes.” O’Sullivan added that at the end of the course, students received an appointment certificate designating them as police constables — a rank Ramaphosa subsequently attained. MPs expressed scepticism regarding O’Sullivan’s teaching credentials, seeking clarity on whether he possessed formal training qualifications.

[/paywall]