VIP protection under scrutiny

PROVIDING protection for eThekwini councillors is again under the spotlight following findings by an internal audit report.

The report into irregularities concerning the hiring of vehicles by the eThekwini metro police department, states that providing VIP protection for councillors is not a function of the department.

It further states that providing such a service was in violation of the SAPS Act.

Gareth Newham a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, said he was not aware of any clause in the SAPS Act prohibiting metro police from rendering such a service.

One of the functions of the municipal police service is described in the act as crime prevention. Metro police can argue that providing security to councillors where there is a known threat to a councillor is part of fulfilling their crime-prevention mandate.

“The term ‘crime prevention’ is very broad and not defined anywhere in law, and therefore, different metro police departments have interpreted it in different ways.

“It has resulted in metro police doing a wide range of policing functions,” Newham said.

There appears to be no uniformity on how cities across the country handle VIP protection for councillors.

Isaac Mangena of the Tshwane metro police department said the Tshwane metro police offered VIP protection services to the executive mayor, the speaker of council, their chief whip and members of the mayoral committee.

“Ordinary ward councillors are not offered such services, unless there’s a threat to a specific councillor, and only after analysis and recommendations, we might offer such assistance.”

Edna Mamonyane of the Johannesburg metro police department said they provided protection for the mayor and members of the mayoral committee.

She added that in cases of service delivery protests, where there were threats to councillors, metro police could intervene to ensure the safety of the councillors.

Richard Bosman, the executive director for safety and security at the City of Cape Town, said the city’s metro police department did not provide protection services to councillors.

Requests

“The city does have a VIP protection unit, which can be utilised if requests are made through the office of the speaker,” he said.

DA provincial leader and eThekwini councillor Zwakele Mncwango said his party was of the view that a specialised VIP protection unit should be created to provide this function.

Mncwango said metro police were not properly trained to provide VIP protection service.

“We believe that such a unit should be housed under the metro police.”

eThekwini metro police spokesperson Sbonelo Mchunu said the protection of councillors fell under crime prevention.

“This is nothing but a normal crime-prevention task.

“Those who are making this an issue are the same people who want to have councillors killed, but they are prevented from carrying out those crimes by the presence of the metro police officers.”