Metro recruits want protection

2007-11-16 21:16

Johannesburg - New recruits into the metro police have stopped working and have vowed not to return to work until they were issued with protective equipment, said the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) on Friday.

"Metro Police officers, who are fresh from the training academy are forced to patrol the Johannesburg CBD and Inner City on foot, without firearms or torches and without older and more experienced officers," said Samwu in a statement.

The union said this was despite its agreement with management that no officer would be sent on patrol without a firearm and that they would be issued with firearms by Wednesday - but that did not happen.

"The new officers were told by the acting supervisor, Sergeant Seokane to buy their own torches.

"The acting Chief Superintendent Mbanjwa - who also supervises them - told them that if they want to work on Sundays and earn overtime, they should first work on Saturdays without getting any pay," said Samwu.

The union also alleged that Mbanjwa recently sent new officers alone, on foot and unarmed to the Bree street taxi rank after a shooting. Mbanjwa is said to have told them: "Either you go there or you resign".

"The result is that taxi drivers, motorists and the public in general harass the new officers who have become walking human targets," said Samwu.

The union said Mbanjwa and Seokane were doing nothing more than displaying extreme incompetence by putting new officers' lives at risk.

"Their behaviour also does not benefit the public because currently the new officers are too afraid to work at all and in any case, they cannot prevent any crimes without the necessary equipment".

Samwu said it planned industrial action against the City of Johannesburg unless it remedied the situation immediately.

"We will not tolerate incompetent management who risk peoples' lives for the sake of getting a promotion", the union said.

The Metro police said they would comment on the matter later on Friday.

- SAPA