11 ANC members get special security

1482 Bedfordview Ward Councillor, Michele Clarke, talks about rising crime in the area following the death of Pirro Basilico on Sunday. Basilico was shot in the head during an apparent robbery at his family home last Thursday night in Bedfordview. Bedfordview, Johanneburg. 070211 - Picture: Jennifer Bruce

1482 Bedfordview Ward Councillor, Michele Clarke, talks about rising crime in the area following the death of Pirro Basilico on Sunday. Basilico was shot in the head during an apparent robbery at his family home last Thursday night in Bedfordview. Bedfordview, Johanneburg. 070211 - Picture: Jennifer Bruce

Published Sep 1, 2015

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Johannesburg - The DA in Ekurhuleni has accused the ANC of using the council’s metro police officers as bodyguards for nine of its councillors and two members of mayor Mondli Gungubele’s mayoral committee.

Michele Clarke, the DA member of the Gauteng legislature and constituency head in Benoni, alleged that officers from the Ekurhuleni metro police department (EMPD) were being used to guard the councillors at all times.

“A total of nine ANC councillors and two members of the mayoral committee (MMCs) in Ekurhuleni are receiving 24-hour protection by the EMPD, whereas these resources should be directed to service the residents of the metro. In a situation where there is an imminent threat to the life of a councillor or MMC, this is common practice,” she said.

Clarke added that the bodyguards were used despite there being no imminent threat to the 11 municipal officials. She

said her assertion was based on the response she received from the deputy chief of police in Ekurhuleni, Ugeshni Naidoo.

According to her, Naidoo had said: “This protection was deemed necessary due to the increased number of service delivery protests in the metro.”

Clarke said: “While service delivery protests in Gauteng have been on the increase, they are born out of frustration by communities whose elected public representatives fail to fulfil their constitutional mandate of providing services and improving residents’ quality of life.

“By guarding these councillors and MMCs around the clock, service delivery is further negated as EMPD officers, instead of servicing the community at large, are now playing bodyguard to a select few.”

Clarke said these officials receiving bodyguard services should return to regular duties and increase manpower to an already strained metro police force.

“The DA will write to Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane and request that she liaise with her colleagues in Ekurhuleni to insist that these bodyguards return to active duty with immediate effect,” Clarke said.

EMPD spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago confirmed that they were giving 24-hour security to some councillors, but defended the decision.

“The escalation of service delivery protests has placed Ekurhuleni councillors’ lives and property at great risk,” he said, adding that the service was provided to all councillors – regardless of their political affiliation – whose lives and property were found to be at risk due to service delivery protests.

“These protests invariably lead to the protesters threatening the lives of councillors and their families. In some cases, the councillors’ houses have been torched.”

He said the EMPD regarded the contents of the DA’s media statement as disingenuous.

The following Ekurhuleni councillors and MMCs are said to be receiving 24-hour protection, according to DA councillor Michele Clarke:

- MS Madihlaba

- VS Mxabangeli

- SJ Mabaso

- PN Kujana

- EN Tati

- VG Zide

- M Xakambana

- TS Zwane

- CN Mabaso

- MMC A Nxumalo

- MMC EV Chauke

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