Help us to protect ourselves, councillors ask KZN Cogta
Police accused of slowing applications to protect civil servants
eThekwini council speaker Thabani Nyawose has asked the provincial department of co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) for help to protect and empower councillors.
Cogta MEC Sihle Zikalala called a meeting in KwaDukuza on Tuesday with administrators and leaders of the eThekwini metro municipality and the iLembe and Ugu district municipalities and local municipalities under them. Nyawose expressed concern at the lack of response to applications he made for the protection of councillors whose lives are threatened.
“We have had loads of meetings with the South African Local Government Association, among ourselves and at speakers’ forums, to discuss the process municipalities have to go through to get protection for councillors when their lives are in danger.
“We have to go through crime intelligence to the provincial SAPS, but when we submit reports they don’t get back to us. I have submitted 38 reports this year and only four have had feedback.
“We need support from Cogta for SAPS to fast-track these reports so they don’t say it’s irregular expenditure when we protect councillors without approval.”
Nyawose added: “Another matter is the issue of councillors not being allowed to study in public institutions of higher learning. I don’t know what informed that decision, but councillors interested in growing themselves in any institution of higher learning [should] be allowed to.
“Apparently, that is not allowed and I don’t think that is fair to us as councillors. I hope the MEC looks at that...”
Zikalala said councillors and MECs should be supported to study further, but until provision is made they should study and pay for themselves. “We must encourage all of us to study. The process must follow us; if that plea is granted one day it should find us already studying. We can’t sit and wait for the day councillors are [allowed to study] for free to start.”
By studying, councillors would be doing self-development and not doing the public a favour, so they should not wait.
Nyawose himself studied while he was a councillor and showed it was possible.
On the protection of councillors, Zikalala said he would engage the SAPS to expedite the threat assessment process but suggested municipalities also train their own people to provide security for councillors. “We also want to caution and request that in providing security – which we must do – we do it in a manner which is responsible.
“It’s better if we have a pool of employees who are trained in security and use them to protect councillors.”