Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) has slammed the DA for putting a statement, which “is not factually accurate”, into the public domain.
“It was not thoroughly researched,” said metro police spokesperson Chief Supt Wilfred Kgasago.
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Kgasago reacted to a statement issued by Clr Jaco Terblanche, DA member of the Community Safety Oversight Committee in Ekurhuleni, which said many officers who have served the metro police for a number of decades continue to be overlooked for key positions.
“While the DA recognises the critical need for the right candidates to be appointed to strategic positions within the EMPD, we do understand the frustration felt by many of the officers after serving within the department for so long. Officers with some 20 to 40 years of faithful service as constables are not receiving any promotions, while it is alleged younger officers, coming straight from college in some cases, are walking straight into a position of rank due to certain connections they may have within the EMPD,” Terblanche said in the statement.
“While this has been going on since 2014, individuals occupying positions within certain investigation units in other metros are not getting the same salaries and benefits as those positions within the EMPD, which indicates a serious breach of equal work for equal pay.
“It is important that as a metro, we develop skills internally so as to promote candidates within our own ranks, which will contribute to not only efficiency but also morale within the EMPD, which has been at an all-time low since the metro came into effect in 2004,” Terblanche added.
Kgasago said: “The primarily general statement smacks of unfair accusations and confounds that the EMPD’s last effected promotions took place in September 2014, when 13 chief superintendents were promoted from superintendent positions.”
Since then, Kgasago added, a moratorium was placed on all promotions ascribable to the institutional review and migration processes.
“As for the allegation that younger officers fresh from college walk straight into positions of rank; it is an allegation utterly devoid of the truth. The only ‘promotion’ that took place in the recent past (late in 2017) was that of a SWAT unit member who got a promotion to superintendent after winning an arbitration,” Kgasago added.
“The EMPD was compelled to implement the ruling. Currently, underway is the arbitration won by 147 inspectors. It is anticipated that the finalisation of this process will be realised this year.”
Kgasago said for an officer to be promoted, a vacancy of a funded post must exist and the City of Ekurhuleni’s recruitment processes must be adhered to stringently. This includes advertisements, short-listing, interviews (with observers from organised labour) and appointment.
The salary scale (C scale) implemented staggers in terms of effecting salary increases to the newly appointed officers who hit the ceiling much earlier than officers with a long-standing service in the EMPD. Consequently, long-serving officers (20-30 years) in some cases will be on the same salary with new officers who would have attained ten years’ service, according to Kgasago.
“Cognisance has to be taken of the fact that we are a semi-military rank structure organisation and that a systematic advancement or rapid progression system is not in place – which system would probably in a significant manner address the issue of stagnation of officers with a long service in terms of earnings.
“The conception that promotions, based on long service only, as a solution to resolve the issues as articulated in the DA statement, is a myth that is least likely to succeed in being a permanent solution.
“The issue of discrepancies in salaries as compared to other metros is a matter that is in the process of being resolved at the relevant levels of the CoE administration. The EMPD has in the past made submissions in this regard with recommendations that would probably pave the way to resolving the issue.”
