24 January 2008
The Independent Democrats call on the City of Cape Town to urgently reinstate the suspended metro police officers for better use in the communities as their absence on roads and communities are having a negative impact on safety and law enforcement.
This comes after more than 100 metro police members were suspended for collective industrial action which disrupted the city.
The party feels that the R4.2 million spent on the salaries of the officers is a waste.
“It is a fruitless expenditure of taxpayers’ money and it’s ridiculous that the public must continue to pay for the delays in the disciplinary processes,” says ID Western Cape Provincial Secretary, Rodney Lentit.
According to the city they are aware that this is very serious as they are an essential service and as a result instituted a collective disciplinary process which some members agreed to and others not.
“The matter went to the labour court for an application to stop this process, the court granted an interdict and we are awaiting the ruling of the court,” says City of Cape Town spokesperson, Pieter Cronje.
Cronje added that they are in the hands of the court and are not in a position to reinstate the members despite the costs that it incurs.
“We cannot reinstate them. There is the possibility of interference and intimidation and these members once back at work will also have to be reissued with cars and firearms, the very tools of the trade that were abused in the course of the process,” says Cronje.
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