ANC welcomes the launch of NMBM metro police

Issued by the Office of the Provincial Secretary on 13 May 2016

The African National Congress would like to congratulate the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro for launching the Metro Police. The fight against crime has always been part of the priorities of the ANC that define the programme for the advancement of the cause of our people. There has hardly been an anniversary statement and our manifesto since we took power in 1994, which has not raised the matter of crime and criminality.

The ANC calls upon all our people to sharpen the anti-crime campaign in the Metro such as Take Back the City and support the efforts of the Metro Police. We call on the leadership of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to revitalise the culture of mass mobilisation, we must seek active partnerships with civil society, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations and all other formations, to form a broad front against crime and all social ills afflicting our communities.

The ANC also wishes to dismiss with contempt, the attempt by the Democratic Alliance to question the process of Mr Linda Mti’s appointment whereas they were part of, and approved a Council resolution appointing Mr Mti after receiving full report on the processes leading to thereto. The ANC has full confidence that the Administration and Council would not have entertained any recruitment that had irregularities.

The DA kept a close guarded secret on City of Cape Town councillor Sam Pienaar’s failure to declare his participation in a massacre over 30 years ago seriously. The 73-year-old was a commander in the SA Defence Force (SADF) civilian defence unit on the Cape Flats, and was allegedly present at the planning of the Trojan Horse shootings in October 1985.

Pienaar had been a councillor since 2011 and headed sub-council 6, which included parts of Bellville, Belhar and Bishop Lavis and on 15 October 1985, railway police hid themselves in crates on the back of an SA Railways truck that drove down Thornton Road, Athlone. Officers emerged from the crates and opened fire on protesters who had been pelting it with stones.

Jonathan Claasen, 21, Shaun Magmoed, 15, and Michael Miranda, 11, were killed and several others injured. They did the same thing in Crossroads the next day, killing Mabhuti Fatman, 20, and Mengxwane Mali, 19. In 1997 Pienaar actually had the gutsy bravado to tell the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the Trojan Horse incident cast a shadow over his proud military career.

Mti on the other hand is the former World Cup 2010 security boss will ultimately be at the helm of heading up the city’s much vaunted metro police and brings a wealth of experience to a position, which is far too senior in terms of his illustrious career.  The truth is that the DA does not appreciate black excellence, worse it wants all the ANC led municipalities to fail.

The leadership of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro needs to ensure that the Metro Police enjoys the support and active participation of the people in the fight against crime and not be distracted by web of lies and propaganda by the DA. We call on the people of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to work with the Metro Police to root out any form of crime, violence, especially gang and drug related violence.

ENDS…

NB: This statement must be attributed to the ANC Provincial Secretary, Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane.