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Metro police officers have gone on strike from this morning, but the department has assured residents that it has a contingency plan in place and that other services will not be disrupted.
THE Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD) has put a contingency plan in place following the strike this morning by members of the South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) in its ranks.
Union members downed tools indefinitely on Monday, 2 February after the Labour Court ruled in their favour, declaring the strike protected.
Licensing and testing departments across the city were closed as striking metro police officers prepared to march to the Metro Centre in Braamfontein.
Traffic along President Street, between Sauer and Rissik streets, and along Rissik Street, between President and De Korte streets, is likely to be disrupted from 10am, when strikers will make their way to the centre.
The strike follows allegations of corruption at senior levels, and that higher-ranking staff members are treated with leniency, despite facing corruption charges.
Deadlock
Nthatisi Modingoane, the spokesman for the City of Johannesburg, confirmed that talks between the City and the union had deadlocked on three union demands:
- That a licensing station manager be suspended;
- That a deputy director of internal affairs be suspended; and
- That the JMPD should not re-engage retirees.
Dumisani Langa, the Samwu secretary in Johannesburg, says union members are angered by management's alleged reluctance to suspend an internal investigation officer, a deputy director of internal affairs, a senior manager and a manager at the Roodepoort testing station, all of whom they accuse of corruption.
Among the allegations are:
- An officer is alleged to have fraudulently bought a Rav 4 car from the metro police pound for R600 in 2007, Langa says. The vehicle was parked at the pound after it was found abandoned. The procedure for disposing of an unclaimed car is to track down the owner; if the owner cannot be found it should be auctioned.
- The altering of results of a person who came to the Roodepoort testing centre to write a learner driving licence test.
Wayne Minnaar, the JMPD spokesperson, confirmed that the metro police had applied for an interdict against the strike.
Responding to the allegations, Minnaar says the union was asked to give evidence against the deputy director of internal affairs. "Up until now we have not heard anything from them. With regard to the claims against the internal investigation officer, she appeared before a disciplinary hearing and was found not guilty."
However, he has assured the public that there will be officers on duty today. "There will be 25 percent of the staff on duty for the day."
Modingoane called on striking officers to exercise restraint and assured residents that other municipal services would not be affected.
"The City will also like to assure residents that other essential services such as emergency services, water, electricity, sanitation, bus services, refuse removal and all other City services, save for JMPD only are not affected by the strike and will continue as normal."
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