2011-11-27 14:29
Johannesburg – Controversial Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) chief Chris Ngcobo has been asked by city bosses to re-apply for his R1.5m-a-year job.
Ngcobo has been at helm for a decade after he joined the metro cops in June 2001.
City manager Trevor Fowler said the position had been advertised and that Ngcobo was welcome to re-apply as the municipality believed in fair processes.
According to a highly placed source, Ngcobo’s contract expired in June, but municipality bosses asked him to stay on for an unspecified time.
In the last 10 years, Ngcobo has been in charge of the biggest metro police force in the country, with about 2 600 operational staff members.
Under his watch in the last financial year (2010/11), Ngcobo oversaw:
» No less than 335 roadblocks;
» More than 7 805 roadside checks;
» Joint operations, numbering 76, with the SAPS and 90 more with other law enforcement agencies;
» No less than 150 compliance inspections on liquor outlets and panel beaters, spray painters and vehicle repair centres; and
» At least 40 operations targeting counterfeit goods.
Ngcobo was also tasked with achieving a 10-minute response time to serious crimes committed in areas with closed circuit TV in the city centre.
Six other Johannesburg executive directors, including mayor Parks Tau’s wife Pilisiwe Twala-Tau (community development) have also had their posts advertised.
The other executive directors are Dr Refik Bismilla (health), Walter Melato (housing), Karen Brits (legal), Flora Mohlago Mokgohloa (environment) and Tiaan Ehlers (development planning).
Ngcobo’s time in office has not been smooth.
He was forced to take leave in 2009 after the municipal workers’ union Samwu went on strike after making allegations of improper conduct against him.
He was cleared of any wrongdoing and returned to work.
During his tenure, Ngcobo grew the JMPD from a small team of 425 officers with a budget of R274m to 2 600 with a budget of R1.2bn.
Ngcobo survived a damning Resolve Report in 2005 which found that he had breached “recruitment and selection policies and thereby appointed candidates of his choice”.
Meanwhile, police spokesperson Zweli Mnisi said the integration of all metro police with the SAPS would only happen on completion of thorough research into the matter.
At its last elective conference at Polokwane in 2007, the ANC resolved that the country should have a single police service.