Pretoria - The Tshwane Metro Police Department received cheers yesterday as it celebrated its 20th anniversary and honoured long-serving members.
The officers held a parade, sang and cheered for colleagues who had been there since the department was established in 2002.
Accountable to the City of Tshwane, it is the third metro police department in Gauteng. The others are in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, and all three were established in accordance with the South African Police Service Act.
In the audience were some of the longest-serving officers and retired officers and their families. They spoke about the two-decade journey of ensuring safety and security and enforcing by-laws in Tshwane.
The SAPS, Johannesburg Metro Police Department, Gauteng Traffic Police as well as business sponsors such as Avbob were also in attendance.
The Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union and the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) used the occasion to complain about the poor grading of the officers.
Samwu deputy general secretary Valentine Matlala asked senior officials from the City and the department to ensure that officers were paid adequately to ensure that they were properly motivated to give their best.
In his official address, acting mayor and MMC for Finance Peter Sutton said 20 years of keeping communities safe was a remarkable feat worth celebrating. He was representing mayor Randall Williams, who is attending the Urban 20 Mayors Summit in Indonesia.
“When the department was formed, three municipalities were combined, namely Akasia, Centurion and Pretoria Central. We have come a long way since then. Tshwane is now a much bigger metropolitan municipality with a lot more ground to cover to keep our residents safe.
“The department is funded and accountable to the City. Its three core functions are to enforce by-laws, crime prevention and road policing. While these core functions may sound nice and easy on paper, in reality a lot of resources and commitment to the cause are required to ensure the successful implementation of these core functions.
“To adequately carry out these crucial safety and security duties, the department needs to be capacitated with a budget that supports this immense task and therefore, in the budget speech that I delivered earlier in the year, we allocated an operational budget of R2.8 billion to our metro police department.
“To our officers, we know that at times you face insults and threats while in your uniform, your safety is sometimes at risk and in some cases officers have lost their lives in the line of duty. I want to encourage you all to be strong and carry on with your duties safely.
“The job you are doing can come across as thankless, but I’d like to assure you that you have our support as the leadership of the City.”
Sutton said it was also time for the department to address its weaknesses, such as officers who solicit bribes, and respecting the rights of individuals, including those who broke the law.
He also called upon communities to give support and respect to metro police when they carry out their duties.
Medal recipients Commander Jacob Lebombo, a traffic officer for 28 years, Superintendent Hazel Maluleke (20 years), Commander Tshilidzi Tsedu (26 years), Senior Superintendent Kenneth Mabudu (36 years) and Superintendent Nakampe Mogale (20 years) are just a few of the officers who have seen and experienced the growth of the department over the past two decades.
Tsedu said: “This work requires a high level of discipline and integrity. Many started with us but they are not here today for various reasons. This is not a job, but a calling. I tell the youngsters, when you wake up you do not go to work, you are going to serve, and you must do so with pride and integrity and respect.”
Mabudu said: “The service has changed a lot over the years and I can tell you there are some areas we need to improve. The young officers still have a lot to learn. Some things have changed compared to back when we started. Then we were respected so much by the community, including even members of SAPS and even members of the army.”
Mogale said: “To me it makes no difference whether you are a man or a woman when you are in public service. I appreciate how we have been able to work effectively as women because it is a calling to do this work. Now we just want to see an even greater representation of women at the top there in leadership positions.”
Pretoria News