JMPD Trainees Quietly Passed Out as Officers, Again

14 December 2020 

After sitting on their hands for most of 2020, the JMPD Officers that Mayor Geoff Makhubo recall and revert to trainees have quietly passed out Officers.

This was done through an internal City of Johannesburg communique issued by Mayor Makhubo dated 2 December.

In February 2020, the 1085 JMPD Officers that has graduated under the tenure of former Mayor Mashaba were recalled by Mayor Makhubo. It was alleged that they were inadequately trained, could not handle firearms, could not drive and could not direct traffic.

As the Chief of Police in charge of the JMPD during the time of their training, I always knew this to be a political move to discredit this important achievement to improve the safety of the residents of Johannesburg.

For the last 9 months, I have received constant reports from these recalled officers complaining that they were reporting for duty only to be told to sit on their hands and watch the hours go by.

The recall of these officers had major ramifications for the residents of Johannesburg and for the officers themselves who reverted from the full salary of an officer to the small stipend afforded to trainees.

One would have expected an administration, seized by the seriousness of allegedly untrained officers, to have embarked upon the very training they allege was lacking for these officers.

Instead after 9 months of doing nothing, it was communicated quietly through internal communications that the officers had now graduated and would assume active duties.

I am informed that by the officers that they are without uniforms or firearms. I am also informed that a number of these officers have sought legal representation to initiate a law suit against the City of Johannesburg for playing politics with their lives and livelihoods.

In a City where the residents face such serious challenges of safety and crime, it is itself criminal that political games have been played with the deployment of these officers.

ActionSA will be writing a complaint to the office of the Public Protector for this matter to be investigated and for the political interference with policing to be revealed in this matter.

As law enforcement, I maintain that one of the greatest challenges with policing is the interference of politicians. Our Policemen and women have an impossible job to restrain the flow of crime with limited resources. They need political leaders who enable their efforts and not hinder them.

This is the future that ActionSA will work to achieve, one in which our police force is fully supported and resourced by politicians, after which they get out of the way and let policemen and women do their jobs without fear or favour.

Issued by Lerato M-Ngobeni, National Spokesperson of ActionSA, 14 December 2020