SAMWU says no justification for Ekurhuleni’s decision to vet all metro cops

The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) said there is no justification for the City of Ekurhuleni’s decision to vet all its metro police officers.

The city launched the initiative on Monday following corruption allegations raised at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

The process includes biometric fingerprint scans and background checks to determine whether any officers have been linked to criminal activity.

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The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) has been at the centre of corruption allegations at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, with several senior officers implicated in wrongdoing.

These include its former chief, Julius Mkhwanazi, who is alleged to have had an improper relationship with suspected underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.

Other cases involve rank-and-file officers accused of killing a person and helping to dispose of the body.

While the city’s vetting drive aims to address these concerns, SAMWU regional secretary Chris Mavundla said the process violates workers’ rights.

“The employer is responding by subjecting our members to an unlawful press process, which we view as victimisation and undermining our members’ rights.”

But SAMWU will now also have to deal with national government’s intervention after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the State Security Agency (SSA) is also being roped in to vet metro police officers.