ETHEKWINI Municipality’s decision to deploy Metro Police officers as bodyguards and private security for ANC councillors is impacting negatively on the city says Chris Pappas. The councillor who represents areas of Musgrave, Overport, Sydenham and Asherville, said the overtime being paid to officers acting as security for tor ANC councillors ran into millions of rands and stretched resources and impacted on service delivery.
According to Pappas, while Musgrave, Overport, Asherville and Sydenham are pillaged by criminals, Metro Police are being treated as ANC body guards and private security.
“Not only this, but they are highly under-resourced and have not had new recruits in the last seven years. Worse still is that millions are being spent on unlawful overtime,” he said.
Pappas said he had approached the Metro Police Department for answers to questions regarding the state of the Department but that he had received no response.
“I am questioning how many officers are currently deployed/employed in this division, what the optimum number of officers would be to ensure quality service delivery and police coverage in the suburbs, how many vehicles are currently operational in the suburbs and how many are needed to ensure quality service delivery, how many vehicles are in storage or in for repairs, when the last time was that new recruitments were taken in and the last time officers received uniforms. I have had no feedback,” he said.
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Pappas said ccouncillor Tex Collins recently questioned Chairperson of the Safety and Security committee and Deputy Mayor, Fawzia Peer, on the ANC spending R56 million on overtime for Metro Police officers.
He said 18 members of the VIP protection unit worked a total of 1305 hours of overtime in one month. This is an average of 72 hours a week, which amounted to 3744 hours of overtime worked by each VIP member, or over five months collectively worked by the 18 members.
“Collins said what was of even greater significance was the Basic Conditions of Employement Act 1997 which stipulated that employees may only work a maximum of 15 hours overtime per week. He said there was also no collective agreement in place which permitted this gross violation of the act and accused the city of breaking the law,” said Pappas
He said the Metro Suburbs Division needed more members, vehicles and resources. “We must support the officers that protect us. We want safer communities,” he said.
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Berea Mail asked the municipality to comment on the R56 million spent in overtime, but this was overlooked in their response which claimed that Councillor Pappas was aware of the correct process all councillors had to follow if they needed clearance on any matter and advised him to contact the office of the Speaker.
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