Police down tools over grievances

Police officers from various stations around Durban were deployed to Lamontville Police Station when their colleagues did not report for duty. Picture: Jacques Naude

Police officers from various stations around Durban were deployed to Lamontville Police Station when their colleagues did not report for duty. Picture: Jacques Naude

Published Jan 12, 2017

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Durban – Police officers from various stations around Durban were deployed to Lamontville Police Station on Wednesday morning when police and admin staff there downed tools over grievances about their station commander and did not report for duty.

Officers from Bhekithemba, uMlazi and Bayview police stations had been instructed to work at Lamontville police station indefinitely.

Brigadier Jay Naicker, police spokesperson, confirmed there was a “high level of absenteeism” at this police station.

He said Major General Bheki Langa, the acting Provincial Commissioner, instructed the Cluster Commander to investigate the circumstances surrounding the high levels of absenteeism.

“Police officials that are absent without valid reasons will be dealt with in terms of police disciplinary regulations as the police will not condone ill-discipline within its ranks,” Naicker said.

An officer from the Lamontville police station, who spoke on condition of anonymity, listed several of their grievances that led to the downing of tools.

He claimed the station commander was a divisive figure who favoured certain officers with overtime allocation, while marginalising other officers.

“The station commander cannot handle people, he does not have managerial skills or the ability to manage,” said the officer.

He also claimed the station commander racially discriminated against his subordinates.

Nolubabalo Mthembu, Lamontville ward 74 councillor, said they had been unaware of the situation, but said the community had previously complained the station was not functioning efficiently as police seemed too complacent.

“There was an intervention following an outcry from the community that the police was not serving them diligently and new officers were brought in to make the workforce diverse. If they are not happy then they should deal with it in a more appropriate manner instead of downing tools as this may open a window of opportunity for criminals to take advantage,” said Mthembu.

Mthembu said the issue must be resolved quickly because the community relied on the police for safety and if they do not report for duty it leaves the community feeling abandoned.

“Their actions may even impact on serious cases that they were working on and needed urgent attention,” Mthembu said.

Daily News

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