SA’s Tshwane Police Accused Of Employing Officers With Criminal Records
The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) has been accused of employing more than 200 officers with criminal records during the first phase of insourcing in 2020.
This shocking revelation was made by Community Safety MMC Grandi Theunissen, also a Freedom Front Plus councillor, during the debates on mayor Cilliers Brink’s State of the Capital Address yesterday at Tshwane House council chamber.
Some of the implicated metro officers were in trouble with law for crimes ranging from bribery to extortion, assault and armed robbery.
Theunissen said more than 200 TMPD members have been charged and are facing disciplinary actions.
Of these, 49 were in hot water because of serious charges emanating from previous criminal convictions.
Theunissen highlighted that most cases could be traced from the insourcing exercise undertaken by the municipality a couple of years ago.
“These members have been part of a long-standing ill-discipline and can’t be tolerated any further. It is my intention that we do proper vetting of any employees, specifically community safety, to make sure that person doesn’t have a criminal record because they are the people who are terrorising the citizens,” he said.
He disclosed that there were at least 30 members being criminally charged and with their prosecution currently under way.
One, he said, has been charged with 18 counts, which included bribery, extortion, assault and even armed robbery.
Theunissen was responding to a concern expressed by Brink about the poor performance of the TMPD.
“In this regard, I can assure you that the department of community safety is taking discipline very seriously,” he said.
Brink had also raised concern regarding officials and councillors owing the municipality for municipal services and rates.
Theunissen said: “I must say that I am ashamed to be part of a council where councillors are owing more than R1.5 million in arrears.”
EFF chief whip Godwin Ratikwane expressed sadness at deaths of 17 people in Hammanskraal due to the outbreak of cholera.
He alluded to news reports which suggested that four city officials were responsible for awarding a R295 million tender for phase one of refurbishing Rooiwal water treatment plant to a businessman Edwin Sodi.
In the past years, ActionSA had questioned why the contract was awarded to a joint venture linked to Blackhead JV owned by businessman Edwin Sodi, which had no experience in these type of capital projects.
In August last year, the City terminated a contract with the joint venture of CMS Water Projects and NJR Projects, which was appointed for a Phase 1 construction in October 2019 at a value of R295m.
At the time the city said the termination followed significant problems and delays with the quality of the work on the site due to continuous stalling.
ANC councillor Silas Makena also conveyed condolences to bereaved families of those who died amid the outbreak of cholera in Hammanskraal.
He lashed out at the DA-led administration for poor service delivery since it took over in 2016.
DA’s caucus chair Jacqui Uys said the DA and Brink in government were focused on effective, efficient, clean and anti-corruption governance, including sustainable and reliable service delivery to all.
Pretoria News
