Chairperson of the Midrand Community Policing Forum Sector 2, Sandile Mahlaba has disputed an executive decision to remove him from his position.
In a letter to Mahlaba dated 20 April by the Midrand CPF chairperson, Steven Johnstone, it states that in an executive meeting held on 18 April, Mahlaba was voted out of his position due to his political responsibility as the chairperson of ANC ward 132.
According to the letter, the Midrand CPF constitution states that people who hold a position politically or at a public office cannot be elected to hold positions in the CPF.
Mahlaba said his current official position is not ‘public office’ but he works for Microsoft South Africa as a services executive. “To this effect, I cannot accept the letter of removal. The recent position within a political party is not a ‘political public office’ in accordance with any definition checked. I have been elected to serve the community of Midrand, under a political party, which is part of the community work I have been doing for the part 20 years,” said Mahlaba in his response to Johnstone’s letter. However, Johnstone insisted that the decision to remove Mahlaba was procedural. “The reasons behind his removal are based on the constitution of the Midrand CPF. Everyone uses the same constitution including the provincial structure of the CPF,” he added.
Read Midrand CPF executive committee elected
Mahlaba further said he will approach the provincial department of community safety for intervention. “In more than 10 years of being active in the CPF, I have been serving in the political party concerned in a number of positions. These have never interfered with my volunteer work for the CPF and at no point were members of my sector committee exposed to my political affiliation or even the volunteer work I do for the ANC. I will approach the MEC’s office to intervene,” he concluded.
Edited by Beryl Knipe
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