EXCLUSIVE: EMPD can’t fine you
This follows the expiration of a contract with road safety and fine management service provider, Syntell, on 30 September.
An EMPD officer and vehicle. Picture: Orrin Singh/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - Since October, the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) has been unable to issue, process or capture fines.
This follows the expiration of a contract with road safety and fine management service provider, Syntell, on 30 September.
The Syntell contract initially expired on 30 June and was extended for a further three months.
Syntell, the same provider that the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) utilises, was contracted to deal with the capturing and processing of fines, warrants and summons as well as providing the technology for automatic number plate recognition (ANPR).
Several senior sources within EMPD confirmed that they are unable to do anything until a new service provider is appointed.
But despite this, EMPD officers continue to stop motorists for traffic law infringements.
"They will stop you and then what? They literally cannot issue you with a fine, those books they carry are useless because they cannot do anything with them. What do you think follows next? Because the public aren’t aware of this," an EMPD insider said.
An internal email circulated to staff on 8 January by Ekurhuleni’s chief information officer from the information, communication and technology unit, outlines the city’s intention to internalise the process of law enforcement with an Integrated Law Enforcement Management System (ILEMS).
An internal email circulated to City of Ekurhuleni staff outlined the city’s intention to internalise the process of law enforcement with an Integrated Law Enforcement Management System (ILEMS). Picture: Supplied
The system was meant to have gone live on 11 January, but this never materialised.
EWN reached out to EMPD acting chief, Julius Mkhwanazi, who declined to speak on the matter, saying the ILEMS system was something they were still working on.
This comes at a time when EMPD finds itself in the midst of a leadership crisis, the unit divided between two camps.
This follows last year's suspension of the unit's former head, Isaac Mapiyeye, who was removed due to sexual harassment charges levelled against him by a woman constable, who has since been promoted to inspector.
Last year, council assigned city manager, Imogen Mashazi, to lead the investigation into Mapiyeye and report back to the officials on her findings, a process which hasn’t been concluded.
Mapiyeye still maintains a strong following within the unit's ranks.
Others have sided with Mkhwanazi, the former deputy head, who also has a cloud of uncertainty lingering over his head.
Mkhwanazi, is accused of unlawfully distributing blue lights to his friends and entering questionable deals on behalf of the city.
This after he was found to have doctored a fraudulent memorandum of understanding to allow a private security company, CAT VIP, to use EMPD vehicles.
A probe, and subsequent report by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), recommended that Mkhwanazi face charges for allowing third parties to impersonate police officers.
Insiders claim that the EMPD is in shambles, as vehicles are broken and not maintained and that they are unable to do their work as political interference continues to stand in the way of their main priority - policing.
Detailed questions sent to the MMC for community safety, Bridget Thusi, went unanswered.