Warwick Bruce Chapman

Note: Please find the questions as tabled at the 31 January 2012 council meeting here. The answers were given verbally, but a listing of the responses is included after the questions below or as a PDF from here.

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The Speaker – eThekwini Council
Councillor Logie Naidoo
City Hall
DURBAN

22 January 2012

Dear Mr Speaker

QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF SECTION 17 OF THE RULES OF ORDER

The Durban Metropolitan Police Service has an extremely important role in the proper functioning of our City. In order for DMPS to fulfil its mandate, it must be fully capacitated and well lead throughout the structures.

In this regard, Captains are extremely important leaders in DMPS area structures and are crucial to the proper functioning of each shift and specialised unit. Questions 4 and 5 relate to Captains in DMPS.

1. How many Metro Police officers are indicated in the organogram under each of the 5 regional commanders: North, South, Inner West, Outer West, Central (incorporating CBD, Suburbs and Beach)?

2. How many Metro Police officers are presently employed under each of the 5 regional commanders: North, South, Inner West, Outer West, Central (incorporating CBD, Suburbs and Beach)?

3. How many Captains are indicated in the organogram under each of the 5 regional commanders: North, South, Inner West, Outer West, Central (incorporating CBD, Suburbs and Beach)?

4. How many Captains are presently employed under each of the 5 regional commanders: North, South, Inner West, Outer West, Central (incorporating CBD, Suburbs and Beach)?

5. If the answer to question 4. above indicates shortage in the number of Captains presently employed relative to those provided for in the organogram, what is being done by DMPS to expedite the training and promotion of Captains?

6. What is the total of uniformed staff in the organogram, and how many vacancies exist as at 1 November 2011?

7. What is the total of Sergeants/Captain posts in the organogram, and how many vacancies exist as at 1 November 2011?

8. Why does the DMPS use a 12-hour shift?

9. Surely, given the shortage of officers, an 8-hour shift will greatly increase the number of officers available for duty at any one time?

10. Will the DMPS consider moving back to an 8-hour shift system?

11. How many applications to the DPP for new speeding sites have been made since January 2011?

Yours faithfully,

Councillor Warwick Chapman

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Answers

Answers provided 31 January, 2012:

1. How many Metro Police Officers are indicated in the organogram under each of the 5 regional commanders: North, South, Inner West, Outer West, Central (incorporating CBD, Suburbs and Beach)?

2. How many Metro Police Officers are presently employed under each of the 5 regional commanders: North, South, Inner West, Outer West, Central (incorporating CBD, Suburbs and Beach)?

3. How many Captains are indicated in the organogram under each of the 5 regional commanders: North, South, Inner West, Outer West, Central (incorporating CBD, Suburbs and Beach)?

4. How many Captains are presently employed under each of the 5 regional commanders: North, South, Inner West, Outer West, Central (incorporating CBD, Suburbs and Beach)?

5. If the answer to question .4 above indicates shortage in the number of Captains presently employed relative to those provided for in the organogram, what is being done by DMPS to expedite the training and promotion of Captains?

6. What is the total of uniformed staff in the organogram, and how many vacancies exist as at 01 November 2011?

Refer to the Durban Metro Police Organogram. The full DMPS organogram can be obtained by contacting the Senior HR Manager for Metro Police, Fire and Emergency Services
Mr M K Naidoo
E-mail: NaidooMonty@durban.gov.za
Telephone: 031 311 2968
Facsimile: 031 311 2909

Alternatively a hard copy can be obtained from DMPS Human Resources Offices based at the following address:
Human Resources Department
Room 339
2^nd Floor
Metropolitan Police Services Headquarters
16 Archie Gumede Place (formerly known as Old Fort Place)
Durban
4001

7. What is the total of Sergeants/Captain posts in the organogram, and how many vacancies exist as at 01 November 2011?

Refer to the Durban Metro Police organogram (see details above).

8. Why does the DMPS use a 12-hour shift?

In 2004, Metro Police Management decided to move from an 8 hour shift to a 12 hour shift. In order to satisfy the wishes of the Unions, regarding allowances and overtime, it was agreed that an Omnibus would be paid to each employee amounting to 17% of his salary. The agreement was signed by all parties.

In 2007, the Drakensburg agreement was signed between the Unions and Council Management. Part of the agreements was that the Omnibus was not going to be paid. Metro Police Management were not consulted on this issue but had to abide by the decision taken at Drakensberg.

9. Surely, given the shortage of Officers, an 8-hour shift will greatly increase the number of Officers available for duty at any one time?

This is being researched by the Treasury Department.

10. Will the DMPS consider moving back to an 8-hour shift system?

Awaiting response as per question 9 above.

11. How many applications to the DPP for new speeding sites have been made since January 2011?

20 sites.

Despite assurances that the planned illegal evictions in Cato Crest had been stopped, late this afternoon residents were surprised when 5 dwellings were destroyed in what would appear to be a politically motivated action.

Today at 3pm the DA’s councillor in Cato Crest Hlanganani Gumbi and DA Spokesperson on Housing Cllr Warwick Chapman met with Mayor James Nxumalo to discuss the illegal threats of evictions in Cato Crest by the ward councillor and ANC Branch Executive Committee in the area. While the meeting was taking place, unknown to the DA or the Mayor, earthmoving machinery demolished 5 dwellings in Cato Crest.

Mayor Nxumalo and Chairperson for Human Settlements Cllr Nigel Gumede both unequivocally stated the evictions must be lawful and alternate accommodation must be provided. Mayor Nxumalo requested that the DA compile a formal complaint and submit it to the Muncipal Manager Mr Sbu Sithole as soon as possible and forward a copy to his office. He assured the DA that an investigation would take place from the City Manager’s office into how it is that a political structure of the ANC could be handling evictions and demolitions in Cato Crest.

The demolitions which were taking while the meeting was being held were undertaken under the supervision of the ward councillor’s assistant who is said by community members to have told them that, “We are coming here to show you that you must move”, and after demolishing the structures said, “Now you can call your DA.”

Cllr Gumbi, took affected residents to Cato Manor SAPS to lay charges relating to the demolition of their structures and destruction of property, however SAPS declined to open any cases. “We were told not to open new cases but instead to meet with the investigating officer Tuesday morning to include these charges in the existing case”, said Cllr Gumbi.

Cllr Gumbi has spend the better part of 48 hours working with community members to stop this illegal action. The SAPS have been extremely reluctant to enforce the law and prevent these illegal evictions. Only after senior MPs and MPLs intervened was any assistance from SAPS forthcoming. At the demolitions which took place today, SAPS did not respond.

The DA reiterates its full support for the eradication of shack settlements and the provision of formal housing in eThekwini. We however require that each step in the process of converting shack settlements into formal housing are undertaken lawfully and with respect for the dignity of those affected as a result. “We condemn the direct involvement of political structures in the work of our City government and cite it as a blatant example of the conflation of party and state”, said Cllr Chapman.

“We call on Mayor Nxumalo and City Manager Sbu Sithole to intervene as a matter of urgency and stop any further illegal action. SAPS also need to ensure they enforce the law without favour.”, said Cllr Gumbi.

MEDIA QUERIES:
Gumbi 076 288 8844
Chapman 083 7797 094

PHOTOS:

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ENDS

Dear Editor

Firstly, to the resident who SMS’d last week about the derelict house in Somerset Ave, the formal processes for remedy have been exhausted and the issue has now been handed over to the enforcement team for action to be taken against the property owner. Unfortunately these things do take time but you can rest assured that in the background the cogs are moving.

To the land owners in Essex and Enfield roads who are working to clean up their derelict buildings, thank you very much for doing your bit to rid this community of grime and contribute to our efforts to combat crime. With the support of eThekwini officials we are also following up on other derelict houses including those in Evans Rd, Davenport Ave, Macdonald Rd and Bartle Rd.

You might ask what it is that you can do as a member of this community, or any other for that matter, to contribute to cleaning up and improving safety? In short, you can help in one of two areas: crime and grime. Combating crime is only effective when the community partners with SAPS, and getting involved with the Community Policing Forum is the most effective way of achieving that. Neighbourhood watches which work in conjunction with the CPF are another. Ridding our community of grime makes criminals feel less at home, and when we feel safer to be out and about in our numbers, we reduce the spaces in which criminals operate. We do this by maintaining our buildings, keeping vacant plots and bushes under control, cleaning our parks, and ensuring our public infrastructure is in a good state of repair.

You can help by taking initiative where you see a problem to either mobilise community members and tackle the problem ourselves or to work with public officials to find a solution. We have much to do in both combating crime and ridding our community of grime but a collective desire to improve will ensure we see the change we need. Inch by inch, with the support of community members, we will make Umbilo and Glenwood among the safest and most friendly places to live in eThekwini.

Warwick Chapman, Ward Councillor for Glenwood and Umbilo

The eThekwini Municipality is simply not doing enough to stem asset losses due to cable theft. As I have explained before to this council, Cape Town has managed, through a well-resourced metals theft combating unit, strict enforcement, and now this initiative to reduce asset losses due to cable theft to a fraction of what it used to be.

There is no reason whatsoever why we should not be reproducing these successes in eThekwini. We are simply not interested in taking this issue seriously enough to muster the political will required to take the measures which have been shown to work in other parts of the country.

This proposal is quite simple. Given the extent of cable theft in our Metro, it is many orders more cost-effective to leave lights in certain high-theft areas on 24 hours to lower the risk of theft, than it is to replace that length of cable.

We can no longer sit back and do nothing about this economic growth sapping crime. I urge you to support this and any other initiatives which seek to reduce cable theft.

The eThekwini Municipality has, at great expense, installed a fibre optic network known as MetroFibre. Since its conceptual stage, MetroFibre has been envisaged as key to providing more cost effective and more accessible broadband services in the municipality’s attempt to bridge the so-called digital divide.

The Connected Schools project aims, in this initial phase, to connect 86 schools to the Internet in areas like Umlazi, KwaMashu, Phoenix, Inanda, Sydenham and Overport . Quite simply, the more access our learners have to the Internet, the more learning and skills development we are going to see taking place.

This sort of project, once properly implemented and maintained, is an example of the sort of positive interventions which municipalities can make, in partnership with other spheres of government, to effect positive change in the lives of people looking for a way out of poverty. We know that in the 21st century knowledge is power.

Providing access to the Internet means providing access to the single largest repository of Information on the earth. Let’s do much much more of it in the years to come.