Update: ‘Law enforcers lawless’ MM says
Disciplinary action will definitely be taken against a number of traffic officials who forced members of the public to abandon their business, and exit the licencing department during an impromptu strike last Tuesday.
Apart from internal disciplinary procedures that will be instituted against the traffic officers, acting municipal manager Mr Mandla Mnguni, urged the public on Monday to open criminal charges at the police station for intimidation and assault against officers they can individually identify.
“Not all of the municipality’s traffic officials took part in the scandalous protest action,” Mr Mnguni told the Observer.
The ones that did, he says, brought the municipality’s image into disrepute, and they will be dealt with accordingly.
“We provide our officers with pepper spray to protect themselves, not harm innocent clients of the municipality,” Mr Mnguni said about the incident.
His anger follows Tuesday’s incident where a group of traffic officers first sprayed pepper spray in the licencing offices in an effort to force the public to leave.
The group then proceeded to Mr Mnguni’s office in the main municipal building, but couldn’t find him there.
They then proceeded to Mayor Mike Masina’s boardroom where they disrupted a media briefing with radio and print media journalists.
Upon realizing that neither the Mayor nor Mr Mnguni was present in the boardroom, the group returned to the licencing offices, releasing pepper spray on the second and first floor staircases, on their way out of the building.
On their return to the licencing department, the wardens ordered every member of the public out of the building, and locked them out.
According to Mr Mnguni the matter was quickly resolved and all officers were back on duty the next day.
Mr Mnguni says the officers raised a number of grievances, with demands of salary increases, overtime payment and a full salary stipend for learner officers whose study fees are settled by the municipality.
“There is a right way and a wrong way of settling matters, and I’m afraid the officers who took part in the protest, overplayed their hands,” Mr Mnguni said.
He said that a task team was assembled to investigate the incident, and added that the municipality was busy organizing a central point of complaint, which will be communicated to the public shortly. “We cannot and will not condone our law enforcers being lawless”.
“Members of the public that can identify individual officers, must please open criminal complaints with the police,” Mr Mnguni urged.
Raed previous story here:
Video: Pepper spray, threats, as traffic officers go on strike
