Traffic officers cry nepotism
19 July 2012
‘INTERNAL’ DISPUTE: Nelson Mandela Bay traffic officers protest over the suspension of their union leaders outside the City Hall yesterday Picture: BRIAN WITBOOI
ABOUT 200 Nelson Mandela Bay traffic officers protested outside the City Hall yesterday in a bid to highlight alleged nepotism by authorities in the short- listing and interviewing of candidates for posts in the municipality.
Three shop stewards affiliated to the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) were suspended last Friday for allegedly trying to block alleged irregular processes by their employer in recruiting candidates.
Traffic officers who spoke to The Herald on condition of anonymity said the recruitment process was flawed and their leaders were being victimised for highlighting the issue.
Traffic officers claimed the employer recruited inexperienced family members.
Three officials – Liboy Nangu, Nobantu Mgudlandlu and another identified only as Nazo – were suspended for trying to put a stop to the alleged irregularities.
A number of officers then staged a sit-in at the reception area of metro traffic chief Hamilton Nzotoyi at the Sidwell Traffic Department on Tuesday, while another delegation met with him in his office.
This was followed by another meeting at the City Hall the same evening, attended by politicians, management and union officials.
All parties agreed that the suspensions would be lifted and that acting municipal manager Themba Hani would sign the agreement. However Hani, who was not at the meeting, refused to do so.
This angered unionised traffic officers, who descended on the City Hall yesterday and demanded the immediate lifting of the suspension of their three colleagues.
"The parties reached an agreement on Tuesday but he refuses to sign for the suspension to be lifted,” a union official said.
Municipal spokesman Roland Williams said he was unable to comment as it was an internal human resources matter.
http://www.peherald.com/news/article/7427
Bay riot cops fail firearm test
13 March 2012
NELSON Mandela Bay’s elite riot police unit is in disarray after about half its officers failed their firearm competency course.
This means they cannot carry or use weapons until they complete – and pass – a second test.
The shocking news comes only a week after the Sunday Times revealed that an internal audit team had found more than 27000 operational police officers around the country had failed their firearm proficiency test.
The same report highlighted that almost half of the 16123 operational members in the Eastern Cape had not yet been trained in terms of the Firearm Act of 2004. Police training includes the basic use of firearms such as semi-automatic rifles, 9mm pistols and shotguns.
The Nelson Mandela Bay public order policing unit, based in Struandale, Port Elizabeth, is responsible for responding to riots and is also involved in special operations in crime hotspots.
The team is currently involved in an ongoing operation in Gelvandale aimed at combating gang warfare.
But the number involved in the operation has dropped since last week because some members failed the firearm competency test.
Policing experts said it was "extremely worrying” and the provincial police office would have to explain how they had let members join a team which was meant to be well trained.
After failing the test last week, the officers were told they were not allowed to work on the streets until they passed the test. A date has not be set yet for a second test.
Stunned police officials said yesterday the POP unit was an "embarrassment” and "in disarray”.
One senior officer, who cannot be named as he is not authorised to talk to the media, said between 60 and 70 officers attached to the unit, mostly new recruits in the police, had failed the test.
"They have all been told to redo the test and have since been told that they are not allowed to work on the streets,” he said.
Another officer, who is not based at the unit, said it was shocking that the recruits had been accepted into the police in the first place.
"This is a job dependent on saving lives – and this sometimes means the use of a gun,” he said. "What happens if I get shot by one of my own colleagues because they don’t know how to use a gun?”
A police officer should be issued with a permit directly after completing a 10-month on-site basic training programme. The permit is issued before the student constable can enter the workplace phase of training, which is for one year.
After this, the student constable goes back to the training college for a two-month integrated assessment phase. All firearm training is part of the course.
Policing expert and former police commissioner Dr Johan Burger said if they failed a second time, the members should either be transferred to an admin post where they were not required to carry a firearm, or not be recruited into the police.
"I have heard national senior management is investigating how these officers got into the police. The minister’s office has also shown some concern with regard to this.”
He said training facilities pushing student officers through when they were not proficient with firearms was an issue highlighted in the past.
Provincial police spokeswoman Brigadier Marinda Mills said police were addressing the issue of the failed tests. She said a formal statement would be issued later.
Senior sources at the national police head office said a meeting with various provincial commissioners was scheduled to take place today to discuss the firearm competency issue in all provinces.
http://www.peherald.com/news/article/5280
