Joburg’s top cop will stop stick-ups
● The man tasked with heading up municipal bylaws in Africa’s crime capital says his top priority is to clamp down on corruption and clean up Johannesburg’s inner city.
In an interview with Sunday Times days after being appointed the city’s new metro police chief, David Tembe said he was determined to fix the decay in the city centre.
“Littering, urinating in the streets, posters of abortions — and people can’t even walk on the pavement it is so overcrowded in the inner city,” he said.
“Washing a car with a water pipe that is meant to extinguish fire is the norm. What if the same building caught fire? These things need immediate attention.
“You might think that these are small matters, but I have to deal with them first before I can tackle other big issues.”
Almost seven years ago Tembe resigned as acting chief of the Johannesburg metro police to take a job with the Road Traffic Management Corporation.
Now he has returned to the department to get rid of corruption and enforce traffic and municipal bylaws.
But not everyone has welcomed his passion, or his appointment.
The opposition ANC threatened to challenge his appointment.
Tembe went from fifth on the list of potential police chiefs to first, based on interviews held in October. He overtook General Eric Gela, who was top of the list. But mayor Herman Mashaba insists Tembe has the experience and knowledge.
Tembe began his career in public safety in 1981 as a paramedic with the Johannesburg Emergency Services.
His objectives are:
Stopping his officers accepting bribes and visiting shebeens and gambling dens while on duty;
Ensuring officers are “friendly” and ready to help;
Training officers properly so they can help more at accidents; and
Clamping down on motorists skipping red traffic lights and curbing petty crime by window-washers and pickpockets.
This week Tembe and Mashaba were present when police raided more than 2 000 Yeoville businesses that had not paid for municipal services. About R1-billion was said to be owed. About 24 people were arrested.
Four church leaders from Yeoville, Berea, Hillbrow and the inner city appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court this week. Their churches were found to have illegal electricity connections.
Tembe said municipal courts would be fully functional in two months.