Mayor Morero apologises for ‘anxiety caused’ by comments on hiring foreign nationals at JMPD

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has apologised for his controversial comments about hiring foreign nationals in the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) to help with South Africa’s crime-fighting efforts.

Morero made these remarks over the weekend during a meeting of the regional structures of the African National Congress (ANC) in Johannesburg.

He suggested that hiring foreign nationals in the JMPD could help with language barriers and assist the JMPD to be effective in their efforts.

Morero said upon further reflection he had come to the conclusion that his suggestion was not consistent with the policies of the ANC and government.

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Unconditional withdrawal

“I therefore unconditionally withdraw my proposal and apologise for the anxiety it might have caused to the residents of Johannesburg and the people of South Africa as a whole,” he said.

The apology comes after his remarks were rejected by senior leaders of his own party, the ANC, and opposition party leaders.

The comments also sparked outrage on social media.

“I wish to appreciate the robust manner in which our people were engaged in this discourse, especially in social media platforms,” he continued.

Morero said the debate on social media and other platforms about his comments showed that residents of Johannesburg cared about the administration of the city.

“The participation of our people in this discourse reaffirms our belief that we have a vibrant and conscious citizenry upon which a prosperous society can and will be built,” he added.

JMPD officials trained in foreign languages

He said after debating his proposal the Lekgotla concluded that the recruitment of foreign nationals into the JMPD, or any of the country’s security forces is both undesirable and untenable.

“The Lekgotla resolved that we should, instead, train our own officers to be proficient in foreign languages that are dominant in areas with the highest concentration of specific groups of foreign nationals,” he said.

He said the Lekgotla, however, accepted the concern that language barriers frustrate police work as valid and legitimate.”

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