Traffic cop college drama continues
On Thursday March 25, the provincial premier, Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, announced that training at the Mpumalanga Traffic College in Bushbuckridge would be stopped.
This comes after months of controversy surrounding the appointment of the 125 traffic trainees.
While responding to questions from the EFF, Mtsweni-Tsipane said she has withdrawn all funding for the programme.
She said the former MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Gabisile Tshabalala, had been removed from this position during the cabinet reshuffle because of the manner in which she had handled the recruitment of traffic cop trainees in Mpumalanga.
In January the EFF had opened a case of corruption and nepotism against Mtsweni-Tsipane and the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCSSL), stating that those appointed had not possessed the correct qualifications.
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The premier then acknowledged that the recruitment procedure had been flawed and directed the head of DCSSL, Busisiswe Nkuna, to stop the programme by March 12. Nkuna had not done so.
Last week, another spanner was thrown into the works when she wrote a letter to Mtsweni-Tsipane. In it, Nkuna stated that the premier had given her a list of names of people who had to be included in this year’s traffic training programme.
Both the DA and the EFF have called for investigations into the situation, despite the premier’s latest announcement.
Collen Sedibe of the EFF said although Mtsweni-Tsipane had said the training at the college would stop, it continued.
