Durban - The holiday season is in full swing, the crowds are here, but many of our “men and women in blue” won’t be dressed for action on Durban’s beachfront, streets and other public areas.
At least 100 members of the metro police’s complement of 2000 officers are forced to wear civilian attire to work because they haven’t received new uniforms.
Officers who are able to comply with uniform requirements often perform their duties in tattered and well-worn outfits, while officers doing beach patrols are also missing kit needed for duty.
The store that was supposed to distribute uniforms had to be shut, more than four months ago, because staff working there were allegedly unable to account for missing stock worth more than R12 million.
A metro police source, who asked not to be named, said certain members of metro’s management apparently re-
served overtime work only for those members who were dressed in full regalia.
“We are forced to wear torn and damaged uniforms because some bosses won’t allow us overtime work if we don’t wear proper uniforms, irrespective of our complaints about their condition,” the source claimed.
The uniform problems were exacerbated when the store in question, which is housed at metro’s headquarters in Archie Gumede (formerly Old Fort) Place, closed.
The drastic course of action became necessary after a municipal audit uncovered that uniforms worth more than R12m had vanished.
How a uniform set could cost R35 000 (R12.6m for 363 outfits) was an issue that emerged at council level, as well as whether the staff in question had flouted the city’s supply chain management policies.
At the time, the municipality said staff working at the uniform store faced possible disciplinary action and dismissal for the “poor supervisory controls and monitoring”.
To date, the municipality is yet to tender an explanation on the missing uniforms or whether any action was taken against the responsible staff.
A uniform contract is presently out on tender and is due to close in January.
The source revealed that a police officer was presently handling the tender’s relevant supply chain management processes, which was irregular.
While the store’s operation has completely halted, it had not operated efficiently for more than four years, which coincided with metro police’s head of logistics, the late Innocent Chamane’s time in office, the informant revealed.
Chamane was gunned down outside his KwaNgcolosi home, near Hillcrest, in November last year.
“He thought that he ruled everything.
“The store was his, everything was his and he curtailed everything, including uniforms,” complained the source.
The informant said there were members who had not received uniforms for four years because distribution had been restricted under Chamane, and those who had received uniforms had been given incomplete sets.
Each officer, on their respective anniversary date of employment, is entitled to uniform sets which includes four pairs of pants, five shirts, a reflective jacket, jersey, rain suit, combat uniform, boots and caps, in exchange for old items.
Metro’s road safety unit requested items like sunglasses, gloves and umbrellas from their superiors before the festive season went into overdrive, but got no joy, the informant revealed.
“Metro policemen are not general workers, we need proper uniforms to do our jobs effectively.
“We have had instances when members of the public disregarded instructions from officers not in uniform, and some officers have been subjected to awkward situations because people thought they were imposters.
“There were times when we had to attend police funerals and other official occasions, but went poorly dressed.
“This problem has affected morale,” claimed the source.
South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) spokesman Nhlanhla Madikizela said the metro police was not like any other department.
“It’s an emergency department, which should always be prioritised and well serviced.
“Stores, this year, have only been opened once. From Innocent Chamane’s days to now, our department has gone from bad to worse.
“We have become a laughing stock,” claimed Madikizela.
He said the union also preferred someone with a policing background to fill the head of logistics position because of the huge logistical crisis the department was experiencing.
The union did not approve of Chamane’s replacement, Nhlanhla Mthethwa, who was not a policeman.
“A trained and experienced policeman would understand the urgency, importance and the need of having all logistical issues resolved speedily.
“That person would also understand the importance of a good quality uniform, durable equipment, as they would be familiar with frustrations of inferior kit and equipment.”
The city’s acting head of communication, Mandla Nsele, said the store was only closed last month because of a change in the software system used by the municipality.
But before the store was closed, officers had received their uniforms, without any hitch, annually, Nsele claimed.
Therefore, only a handful of policemen were without new uniforms.
“Currently the stock count process is being conducted by the metro police unit, but is under the control of the supply chain management and the internal audit departments, who have assured the process will be finalised soon, and officers will be issued with their new uniforms.
“In addition, the uniform stores will be open, even on weekends, if the need arises,” Nsele said.
They were investigating how the efficiency of the metro police stores could be improved, he said.