Long wait for Ekurhuleni armoury audit report, according to the DA
“One must ask how many weapons are actually unaccounted for, for the ANC to use such delay tactics?” says Waters.
The Democratic Alliance has alleged the metro is refusing to hand over a copy of the Ekurhuleni armoury audit report.
The party has now submitted a request for a copy of the Ekurhuleni armoury audit report under the Promotion of Access to Information Act.
Michael Waters MP, the DA Deputy Chief Whip and Lethabong Constituency head, says all efforts by Ekurhuleni metro councillor Jaco Terblanche in getting the audit report made public have fallen on deaf ears.
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“Terblanche asked questions in Council on September 26, 2017, where the reply he was promised that the report would be available on October 31, 2017.
This has never materialised.
“He then sent a letter to the MMC of Community Safety on November 2, 2017, requesting the report, but to no avail.
“During the community safety oversight meeting held on March 13, 2018, the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) undertook to give the members of the meeting the armoury audit assessment and report by March 16, 2018, which they then delayed to April 6, 2018.
“When Terblanche tabled a motion on April 26, 2018, in the Council meeting, the Council took a decision that the report would be tabled on May 8, 2018, at the community safety oversight meeting which was then further delayed to June 5, 2018,” says Waters.
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This has still not been tabled, according to Waters.
Waters goes on to say he asked a question in Parliament, where the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs indicated that a comprehensive audit assessment of all EMPD’s firearms is currently being conducted by the directorate responsible for priority crime investigations.
The minister further promised the firearms audit assessment findings and the report thereof would be presented to the Council during September 2018 but these findings were never tabled.
Waters says it is obvious the ANC is trying to hide something embarrassing in the report otherwise why will they not release the report?
“Chapter 11 (99) (d) and (e) of the Firearm Control Act, 60 of 2000 provides the following guidelines in terms of the storage, disposal, transfer, loss, theft or destruction of firearms:
“(d) particulars regarding the disposal, transfer, loss, theft or destruction of firearms contemplated in paragraph (a); and
“(e) if a firearm is lost or stolen, particulars regarding the report of the loss or theft to the South African Police Service.
“It is obvious the Ekurhuleni metro has failed to adhere to the law and is running scared in this regard.
“One must ask how many weapons are actually unaccounted for, for the ANC to use such delay tactics?
“In addition, the MMC for Community Safety, alderman Vivian Chauke, is in contempt of Council for failing to execute a resolution of Council and must explain why she has not released the report to date,” says Waters.
The metro failed to respond in time for publication.
