In
the ANC Caucus in Joburg it was noted with concern that there are over 40
suspensions currently in effect at the JMPD, including the recent spurious one
concerning Director Kgaswane.
As if this was not enough; Tembe has just suspended an additional 17 JMPD
Superintendents.
The majority of these suspensions are beyond three months which is in
contravention of the Disciplinary Code. What is more concerning is that the
City continues to pay all these employees while they sit at home and do
nothing. This is despite the fact that investigations into their alleged
misconduct have been concluded.
The ANC in their statement : “is disgusted and disappointed by the
continued path towards collapsing the Public Safety Department by the Acting
HoD David Tembe.”
In the JMPD, the suspension provision of the DC is being abused by the Chief of
Police in order to victimize those that dared to challenge his wrong decisions
and expose his incompetence. To demonstrate this point, the suspensions of two
Directors have already been found to be unnecessary and invalid, while others
are pending adjudication at the South African Local Government Bargaining
Council.
These reckless and unwarranted suspensions are already costing the City over
R1.2 Million per month, excluding employer contributions in paying employees
who are at home, some for over a year while most are well over the three months
period as prescribed by the DC code. Furthermore, the City is likely to incur
additional costs as the litigation at SALGBC is potentially going to award
compensation for these irregular and unwarranted suspensions.
The ANC therefore has called on Council to intervene by placing the Chief of
Police on suspension while he faces a proper investigation into allegations of
misconduct against him including the fact that he doesn’t have matric. This
should be done in order to avert the ongoing implosion of the JMPD because of
the incompetence of the current Chief of Police.
Spurious JMPD suspensions cost Joburg millions
