Mmutle: a political appointment without benefit for the city

Persverklaring: Wyksraadslid Karen Meyer, DA Woorvoerder: Gemeenskapsveiligheid en Nooddienste, Tshwane. 19 Junie 2008

Mmutle: ‘n politieke aanstelling sonder voordeel vir die stad

Die Demokratiese Alliansie het met skok kennis geneem dat die ANC beheerde raad voortgegaan het met die kontroversiële aanstelling van Kommissaris Mpho Mmutle as hoof van die Tshwane Metro Polisie. Dit kom na herhaalde waarskuwings deur die DA dat hierdie nie ‘n gewensde aanstelling is nie.

Dit is duidelik dat politiek belangriker is as effektiewe dienslewering en produktiwiteit. Hierdie aanstelling voeg nie ‘n waarde by tot die Gemeenskapsveiligheid Department nie, ‘n department wat juis nou bekwame bestuur en leiding benodig om effektiewe dienslewering te verseker.

Mmutle is in Desember 2004 met ‘n lang lys aantygings teen hom van die raad na die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens “teruggeroep”.

‘n Forensiese oudit deur die ouditeursfirma Deloitte en Touche het in 2004 tugstappe teen Mmutle, sy drie adjunkte en nog vier senior metropolisielede aanbeveel na bewerings van nepotisme, korrupsie en wanbestuur op die televisie program Carte Blanche.

Soever bekend is die aantygings van wanbestuur teen Mmutle nooit weerlê nie.

Daar is ook reeds aanduidings dat Mmutle sy eie span saam bring na die pos by die Metro polisie.

Die DA is vas oortuig dat daar ander kandidate vir hierdie pos was sonder ‘n negatiewe geskiedenis. Waarom moes die keuse juis op Mmutle val?

Misdaad is almal se vyand nommer een. Juis daarom betreur die DA die feit dat die belange van die gemeenskap die knie moes buig voor goedkoop politiek met met geen voordeel vir die breë gemeenskap nie.

Raadslid Karen Meyer
DA Woordvoerder: Gemeenskapsveiligheid en Nooddienste
082 373 7662

Press release: Ward Councillor Karen Meyer, DA Spokesperson: Community Safety and Emergency Services, Tshwane. 19 June 2008

The Democratic Alliance learnt with shock that the ANC went ahead with the controversial appointment of Commissioner Mpho Mmutle as the head of the Tshwane Metro Police. This happened despite repeated warnings by the DA that this is not a desired appointment.

It is clear that politics are more important than effective service delivery and productivity. This appointment doesn’t add value to the Community Safety Department, a department that needs skilled management more than ever to ensure effective service delivery.

Mmutle has been ‘called back’ to the SAPS from the Council in 2004 with a long list of accusations against him.

A forensic audit by the audit firm Deloitte and Touche recommended disciplinary steps against Mmutle, his three deputies and four senior metro police members following accusations of nepotism, corruption en mismanagement on the television programme Carte Blanche.

To the DA’s knowledge these accusations of miss management have never been refuted.

There is already an indication that Mmutle will bring his own team with him to the post at the Metro Police.

The DA is convinced that there were other candidates for this post without any negative history. Why was Mmutle chosen?
Crime is everyone’s number one enemy. Therefor the DA finds regrettable that the interest of the community had to bow before cheap politics with no benefit for the broader community.

Councillor Karen Meyer
DA Spokesperson: Community Safety and Emergency Services
082 373 7662

Police officers short more than 7 000 bullet-proof vests

Statement issued by: Dianne Kohler-Barnard, DA spokesperson on Safety & Security

SAPS senior management have stated that every police officer has a bullet-proof vest – yet the Minister of Safety and Security says that they are 7 458 vests short. Who do we believe?

In a strategic planning session held in February 2008, the Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security was assured by senior SAPS management that there was no shortage of bullet-proof vests. However, according to a parliamentary reply received recently, the police are short of 7,458 bullet-proof vests.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls upon the Minister of Safety and Security and his deputy to focus their attention on the basics of policing and to make sure that every police officer is kept safe.

To learn that the same Deputy Minister who created confusion over the right of police to use deadly force is also partly responsible for the failure to issue basic safety equipment shows that the Minister and his Deputy are all about playing to the gallery and not doing their actual jobs. The rush to score cheap political points simply serves to distract the public from the real problems - our police are not even properly equipped to perform their duties.

Given the fact that there are 1124 police stations in the country, this means that there is an average shortage of 7 bullet-proof vests per station.

Last year, the DA conducted a series of police station visits and learned that most stations visited were short of torches, handcuffs, vehicles, cellphones, radios, roadblock kits, pepper spray and portable blue lights.

The DA calls upon the Minister to get the basics of policing right: high quality recruits, professional training and adequate equipment. Unless these basic three elements are in place, the police will never get the upper hand in the fight against crime.

Waterkloof Traffic Headache due to Lack of Policing

PRESS RELEASE: CLR DOULIEN VAN DER MERWE SNYMAN. 9 APRIL 2008

The residents of Albert street in Watekloof is held ransom by an unprecedented volume of traffic due to the City Councils’ inability to apply by-laws governing the use of roads in residential areas. The present situation was further caused by the Council’s lack of applying basic logic and refusal to follow a transparent public participation process with the aim to serve the interest of tax and rates payers in the said community.

At present there is a daily convoy of trucks travelling through Waterkloof, Hazelwood, Ashlea Gardens and Alphen Park. It is reported that up to a thousand (1000) heavy duty trucks are making use of Albert and adjacent streets conveying building material and especially soil to two building sites in the vicinity.

The residents are complaining of unbearable traffic congestion that is caused by this sudden increase of heavy duty vehicles. This is not where the problem ends. Already it is reported that extra potholes were caused by this clear misuse of residential roads. Who, one may ask, will boot the bill when these potholes are to be fixed?

The DA is happy to report that some of the potholes are to be filled after calls were made in this regard by the DA councillor, Doulien van der Merwe Snyman.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor for Ward 42, Doulien van der Merwe Snyman, is calling upon the City Council to account for this sorry state of affairs causing infrastructure problems and inconvenience to the residents of this area who just happen to be loyal tax and rates payers of the Tshwane Metropolitan City.

“The City Council simply ignored me as the ward councillor for this area when they wheeled and dealed with the developers who are now causing havoc in this suburb.” said Clr Doulien van der Merwe Snyman. She added that the City Council’s reluctance to be considerate to resident’s interests, is symptomatic of a Council completely out of touch with the needs of the community.

While the DA is supportive of developments such as the Garsfontein/N1 intersection and the Riverwalk development in Alphen Park, the views and interests of the residents in Ward 42 must at all times be considered.

The DA demands a meeting with all the stakeholders including the developers, City Council and residents to discuss alternative options with the aim of agreeing upon a route plan that will balance the needs of everyone concerned.
Clr Doulien van der Merwe Snyman ( 079 499 8392)