“Various other disciplinary options were considered, but this route was best suited to uphold the integrity of the service.”
Samwu Ekurhuleni regional secretary Tshephang Langa said: "We have subjected the matter to the union's legal division. Equally, we have written to the city to request 72 hours instead of the 48 hours they gave us to respond.”
He said they would exhaust all internal avenues, including a regional shop steward council meeting to deal with the matter and “get a mandate from the ground regarding what our posture should be”.
The mass dismissal is to strip an already strained department, which according to DA councillor in Ekurhuleni Jacobus Terblanche only has about 3,000 EMPD officers on the ground, far short of the 7,000 needed to service the metro effectively.
“This places massive strain on services. Some shifts are running with just two officers, and there is no law enforcement happening in parts like Kempton Park, which is under siege with illegal dumping and cable theft,” he said.
According to Terblanche, the process of training new officers takes up to 18 months to three years, further complicating efforts to plug the gap.
The EMPD protest came two weeks after Samwu expressed displeasure over Ekurhuleni’s decision to cut overtime pay for its 16,000-strong workforce by 50%.
The metro, which is struggling financially, said its decision was part of a revenue enhancement strategy. Ekurhuleni finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi has criticised the “culture of overtime” in the municipality.
“In quarter one, roughly R216m was spent on overtime ... Projections for the entire year are that we would have spent about R1bn,” Dlabathi said at the time.
Independent policing researcher David Bruce from the Institute for Security Studies told Sowetan that metro police services in Gauteng lack accountability.
“This is a service costing billions in public funds, yet we can’t even assess if dismissing 400 officers will affect enforcement because we are not told what they actually do.”
mkentanel@businesslive.co.za
Samwu prepares for legal action over Ekurhuleni police protest
Metro issues pre-dismissal letters to more than 300 police officers for illegal action over overtime pay
The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) is preparing to mount a legal challenge after Ekurhuleni issued pre-dismissal letters to almost 400 of the metro’s police officers who recently embarked on an illegal stoppage over pay.
The metro said in a statement it had started disciplinary measures against 389 Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) officers for their participation in an illegal strike and blockade of highways on March 19.
“The affected EMPD officers face pre-dismissal processes due to severe misconduct, including the illegal blockade of the R21, N12, N17, and N3 highways," the metro said.
“This unlawful action significantly disrupted traffic flow, severely inconvenienced thousands of commuters, and hindered access to the OR Tambo International Airport, a designated national key point, impacting flight schedules and broader regional connectivity.
“As EMPD officers, these individuals are classified under essential services, mandated to uphold public safety and order,” it said.
City spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said video footage and other internal mechanisms were used to identify the officers involved.
“After carefully considering the seriousness of the offence, the city concluded that dismissal was the appropriate action,” said Dlamini.
“Various other disciplinary options were considered, but this route was best suited to uphold the integrity of the service.”
Samwu Ekurhuleni regional secretary Tshephang Langa said: "We have subjected the matter to the union's legal division. Equally, we have written to the city to request 72 hours instead of the 48 hours they gave us to respond.”
He said they would exhaust all internal avenues, including a regional shop steward council meeting to deal with the matter and “get a mandate from the ground regarding what our posture should be”.
The mass dismissal is to strip an already strained department, which according to DA councillor in Ekurhuleni Jacobus Terblanche only has about 3,000 EMPD officers on the ground, far short of the 7,000 needed to service the metro effectively.
“This places massive strain on services. Some shifts are running with just two officers, and there is no law enforcement happening in parts like Kempton Park, which is under siege with illegal dumping and cable theft,” he said.
According to Terblanche, the process of training new officers takes up to 18 months to three years, further complicating efforts to plug the gap.
The EMPD protest came two weeks after Samwu expressed displeasure over Ekurhuleni’s decision to cut overtime pay for its 16,000-strong workforce by 50%.
The metro, which is struggling financially, said its decision was part of a revenue enhancement strategy. Ekurhuleni finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi has criticised the “culture of overtime” in the municipality.
“In quarter one, roughly R216m was spent on overtime ... Projections for the entire year are that we would have spent about R1bn,” Dlabathi said at the time.
Independent policing researcher David Bruce from the Institute for Security Studies told Sowetan that metro police services in Gauteng lack accountability.
“This is a service costing billions in public funds, yet we can’t even assess if dismissing 400 officers will affect enforcement because we are not told what they actually do.”
mkentanel@businesslive.co.za
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