‘Unapproved’ recording equipment ends CPF meeting

“Unapproved” recording equipment was provided as the reason for abruptly ending Thursday night’s Edenvale Community Police Forum (ECPF) meeting.

This follows months of tension within the leadership structures of Edenvale.

Before the meeting was due to commence, chairperson for the ECPF, Mrs Linda McKenzie, questioned why recording equipment had been set up by “the Democratic Alliance (DA) table”.

When those seated at the table did not answer, Mrs McKenzie adjourned the meeting.

“Permission to record the meeting needs to be obtained from the office of the MEC for Community Safety,” she said.

Thursday night’s meeting was the last meeting scheduled before the election of the forum’s new executive committee.

“The June meeting for the ECPF will go ahead as planned and the election will be chaired by the office of the MEC for Community Safety,” Mrs McKenzie told the NEWS after the meeting.

Residents who attended the meeting were disappointed and said they had hoped to bring up important issues in the community.

Edenvale resident, Mr Dickie du Rand told the NEWS he had hoped to get answers from all role players regarding overcrowding at his neighbouring properties.

DA Member of Parliament, MPL Mike Waters said, “I flew up from Cape Town to attend this meeting. This is an open and public forum. What are they trying to hide?”

After the adjournment of the meeting, former Bedfordview ward councillor and now member of the Gauteng Legislature, Michele Clarke, attempted to contact the MEC’s office but to no avail.

After 8pm the NEWS received a call from MPL Waters stating that contact had been made with the MEC and she denied any knowledge of the postponement of the meeting.

On Friday MPL Waters issued a media statement in which he demanded Mrs McKenzie provide proof that the MEC gave instruction to stop the meeting.

“According to our information, the MEC was addressing a public meeting at the time, and after several phone calls to the MEC one of her directors answered her phone. When asked if she had given permission for the meeting to end she replied she had not,” MPL Waters said. “So Linda must now own up and tell us whether she misled the meeting or not,” he said.

“Every person in the room had a camera and video recorder – their cell phones. The meeting is an open and public one so recording part or the whole meeting is neither here nor there. It in fact supports the principles in our Constitution of an open and transparent society,” MPL Waters said.

He believes Mrs McKenzie was taken aback at the number of people in the room.

“I for one was going to raise the fact that the CPF has become a platform for attacking hard working DA Councillors, by tarnishing their reputations without any proof. Some of the residents informed me that they were there to ask difficult questions as crime in Edenvale was getting out of hand,” MPL Waters said.

The NEWS requested comment from Mrs McKenzie on the allegations made on Friday.

On Monday, Mrs McKenzie’s response was sent to the office of the MEC for approval.

At the time of going to print the statement had not been released to the NEWS.

“With regards to the ECPF press release, it is ready to be sent, however we are bound by protocol and the MEC’s office as well as our Constitution to have any statement approved,” Mrs McKenzie said.

She added that the statement will be made available once it has been approved.

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