Officers told GroundUp they have not issued tickets for common violations since 2022, from reckless driving and illegal parking to impaired vehicle and moving violations.file photo
Dr AB Xuma local government transport officer in Ngcobo says the department is dysfunctional. Six traffic police officers and five law enforcement officers have now started the complaint process.
We spoke to three executives. They asked not to be quoted individually.
They claim to be left almost entirely to their own devices. There are no daily parades or work plans, no tasks delegated to them. They don't have ticket books or even cards that identify them as police officers.
“It is difficult to work without a reservation card because there is nothing to show the driver and the driver may just drive off without showing the reservation card,” said one of the police officers.
Officers told GroundUp they have not issued tickets for common violations since 2022, from reckless driving and illegal parking to impaired vehicle and moving violations.
A police officer said, “I used to have a ticket book, but it was stolen.'' “Then they were recovered. But they went missing again and we haven't gotten them since.”
Councilor Nkosinati Chetman (EFF) said there was no revenue collection from traffic law enforcement agencies and the issue had been raised many times in parliament.
Police officers say they are just bystanders when accidents occur. They don't have an accident report and nothing is recorded.
There are also no speed traps or breathalyzers.
High on their list of grievances, as it affects their pay, is that five of the police officers do not have a traffic license compared to six traffic police officers, three of whom have licenses. They claim that they are paid high salaries.
They place the blame for police incompetence on Chief Inspector Bandile Machingwane. Instead of running the department, he says he spends his time administering learner and driving license exams and vehicle fitness tests.
When issuing tickets in the past, Mr Machingwain said he often did not follow up with the necessary follow-up in the magistrates' court.
Asked for comment, Massingwein said he was not authorized to communicate or share work-related information with journalists.
The employees said they consulted their trade union, the South African Municipal Workers' Union (SAMWU), but the union stalled, so they decided to proceed on their own.
The police officers, in their personal capacity, lodged a formal complaint against Machingwane with Transport Commissioner Nonkukiso Machingwane. She reportedly refused to accept her memorandum.
They then visited city official Katushelo Mulaudzi in February. A few weeks later, six of them received a letter accusing them of gross insubordination, non-conformity (unacceptable behavior in the workplace) and “smearing the name of the municipality.”
According to one disciplinary hearing notice seen by GroundUp, the officer was accused of failing to attend a meeting, storming out of a meeting, and failing to direct traffic on three separate occasions in November and December 2023. He is charged with failing to comply with Mr Massingwein's instructions.
Officers said they did not have confidence in the disciplinary process because they had reason to believe that Speaker Zolani Mbeleni was not neutral.
The disciplinary hearing, originally scheduled for March 25, was postponed to May 9 and 10, but Mbeleni appeared to be indifferent and it was postponed to June 4.
Officers claim that on March 25, the day of the original disciplinary hearing, Mr Machingwane met with Mr Mbeleni at a petrol station in the New Rest shopping complex, and the meeting was captured on CCTV. There is. They showed the footage to GroundUp. Mr Machingwane appears to have paid for Mbeleni's food and fuel and granted him a temporary vehicle permit.
Mbeleni did not answer calls or respond to our questions sent via WhatsApp.
The employees then filed a complaint with the local government bargaining committee claiming that they were victims of unfair labor practices. The council referred the matter to mediation on April 25. Officials said the outcome remained unresolved because the municipality did not attend.
“We now want to take this matter to court. We continue to seek advice from our lawyers. All we know is that if we remain silent, we will end up wasting our work.” It means we are going to lose. The union has failed us. We are now fighting on our own,” the police officer said.
SAMWU Secretary Sibu Tisana said he was aware of worker complaints and disciplinary hearings, but commented that officers had chosen to be represented by colleagues rather than SAMWU in disciplinary hearings. He said he was not in a position to do so.
Eastern Cape Department of Transport spokesperson Unasi Binkose introduced us to the municipality.
“This is a matter between employer and employee, so the city is not at liberty to divulge any information at this stage,” city spokesperson Sibuil Mieko said. Providing comments may jeopardize ongoing processes. ”
This article first appeared on GroundUp.
