**A senior South African police officer has set up home in his police station after payments were stopped for his accommodation at a local guest house.**The Beeld newspaper reports that he washes in the station’s kitchen and holds meetings in his pyjamas.
Superintendent David Matlahola has been living at Ratanga police station, east of Johannesburg for the past two weeks.
A local official told the BBC the situation had led to tensions between staff members.
Johan Bester, chairman of the local police liaison forum, said the police had agreed to pay his accommodation of 2,000 rand ($258; £152) a month boarding as a perk for relocating the station commander from Limpopo Province to Gauteng.
“The arrangement came to an end last month. He demanded to be moved into a state home but the police refused.”
He said the matter had been brought to his attention by officers at the Ratanga police station.
“Mr Matlahola was told that he doesn’t qualify for a state home because he is a high-ranking officer. I find this difficult to believe because I personally know of officers where I work, who have a similar ranking who live in state homes,” he said.
Mattress
Police at the Ratanga station refused to comment on the record when contacted for comment by the BBC but they did confirm the story was true.
South Africa’s Beeld newspaper, which says its journalists visited the police station, reports that Mr Matlahola has moved some of his furniture, including a lounge suite and a mattress, into his office.
Mr Bester told BBC that he has received a number of calls from community members concerned about the situation at the police station.
The Sapa news agency reports that the police have refused to comment on matter.
“It is an internal matter and will be handled internally,” said Gauteng police spokesman Superintendent Eugene Opperman, Sapa reports.
The BBC’s efforts to reach Mr Opperman were unsuccessful.