Community Safety- Non-functioning Departments and Inflated Salaries
By Cllr Jaco Terblanche- DA Shadow MMC for Community Safety in Ekurhuleni
Date: 25 March 2021
Release: Immediate
The DA in the CoE is dismayed by the haphazard way service delivery is being implemented by the ANC-run National and Provincial governments. Thousands of Ekurhuleni residents have had first-hand experience of the chaotic situation at various motor vehicle licensing centres across the Metro.
The Department of Transport and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) launched the NaTIS Online Booking Services prematurely as the implementation has been utterly dismal, particularly in Ekurhuleni, where the City’s glaring inefficiencies have been exposed.
The Ekurhuleni Licensing Department has always been in shambles, but Covid-19 has certainly exacerbated the situation. It is almost impossible to get a booking slot at any of the driving license testing centres. As expected, motorists are growing more and more frustrated.
While frustrated Ekurhuleni residents are facing an array of challenges at licensing centres across the Metro, both the ANC appointed Executive Mayor, Cllr. Mzwandile Masina, and the ANC MMC of Community Safety, Cllr. Frans Mmoko, have neither intervened, nor provided any leadership or direction on the matter.
Further to the chaotic licensing department in Ekurhuleni, the Ekurhuleni Metro Police (EMPD) VIP Unit officers earn exorbitant salaries at the detriment of Ekurhuleni residents.
The MMC for Human Settlements in Ekurhuleni, Cllr. Lesiba Mpya has nine VIP protection officers which are more than both the Mayor and the City Manager who both have six VIP protection officers each. Other MMCs have between three and four VIP protection officers while the Speaker has three VIP protection officers; the Chief Whip has two VIP protection officers; the Chief of Police has two VIP protection officers and both the Chief Financial Officer and the Chairperson of MPAC each have one VIP protection officers. There is no explanation as to why Cllr Mpya has nine VIP protection officers. In the case of a safety risk a risk assessment must be done by SAPS for any Councillor in danger.
It is worrying that Ekurhuleni is unable to pay salary increases to staff and have opted to divide the salary increase into two phases, yet they continue to pay skyrocketing salaries for VIP protection officers for ANC politicians and senior management.
The salaries paid to the EMPD VIP Unit officers is ridiculous considering that the entire EMPD is under resourced. It is deeply disappointing that the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is prioritizing spending on the EMPD VIP Unit while there are not enough EMPD fleets to ensure police visibility and the safety of Ekurhuleni residents on the roads.
A DA-run Ekurhuleni will:
· Improve the efficiency of the licensing departments by working collaboration with Provincial government to improve its functioning. Improve the booking system to allow physical bookings, more especially in communities where there is no internet services to access the newly implemented online booking system.
· Temporarily increase the number of staff employed in licensing centres to deal with the high volume of people who visit the Licensing Department following its closure during the lockdown period.
· Reduce the number of EMPD VIP Unit protection officers to reduce wasteful expenditure on the part of the EMPD. Redirect funding to ensure that EMPD staff are well resourced to ensure increased visibility in our communities.
· We will improve police visibility and response times by increasing the number of EMPD officers, creating civilian policing units and establishing mobile police stations in areas where people do not have access to community safety services.
· We will assess each officer’s fitness on a quarterly basis. This will be supported by a police fitness program, requiring officers to attend a regular physical training and skills development program.
Cllr Jaco Terblanche
DA Shadow MMC for Community Safety in Ekurhuleni
