Johannesburg metro police officers in Soweto are threatening a stay-away if changes are made to the current shift system, their union said

Officers who were SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) members wanted the current shift system to remain and have additional officers deployed to Soweto wards instead, spokesman Jack Mokalapa said.

“If these demands are not met there will not be any officers on duty over weekends, starting this weekend.” 

Mokalapa said metro police management wanted to introduce a new shift system with 10 metro police officers on duty per ward, every day.

“The shift system the employer wants to introduce will not be able to provide 10 officers per ward, as instructed by the mayor, because the current staff compliment in Soweto is less than 280 officers with 48 cars, meant to service 37 wards.” 

This would cause safety problems for officers as some did not carry firearms.

“Workers’ safety will be prejudiced as they will be forced to do foot-patrols in the evening, leaving them vulnerable to criminals... also a quarter of these officers do not have firearms,” Mokalapa said.