Police chief unfazed over new campaign to oust him

JOHANNESBURG Metro police chief Chris Ngcobo is not worried about a hate campaign waged by some officers to have him removed

Officers, who are members of the SA Municipal Workers Union, have initiated an "everybody hates Chris" campaign.

Ngcobo, who was still recovering after running the gruelling Comrades Marathon in Durban on Sunday, told Sowetan that he was not worried about the campaign.

"They made allegations against me previously and those allegations were investigated and I was cleared of any wrongdoing. I do not know what they are complaining about this time," he said.

Samwu's provincial strike organiser Jack Mokalapa said the "everybody hates Chris" campaign was initiated to force the City of Joburg not to renew his contract.

Ngcobo is accused of giving inexperienced white officials preferential treatment, victimising officers who do not toe the line, and appointing his incompetent friends to senior positions.

Mokalapa said they would hold protests to highlight their demands until Ngcobo was removed.

City of Joburg spokesperson Gabu Tugwana said the council was not aware of the workers' demands because the union had not formally engaged it.

"Given the good labour relations between the union and the city, it is disappointing to observe that they (the union) chose to address this matter through the media," Tugwana said.

"They need to substantiate their allegations. It does not assist the city for a union to start another campaign after dismally failing to substantiate similar allegations in a previous investigation against the same JMPD official."

Ngcobo was cleared of allegations of corruption in 2009.