Former magistrate Ian Yuill is to investigate allegations of poor management, negligence and transgressions of the law by metro police members serving Cape Town’s Helderberg region.
”Yes, [the brief] is fairly far-reaching, but it’s important to be as wide as possible so that one can investigate any allegation, rather than have a specific, narrow inquiry,” said Yuill, announced at a city media briefing on Tuesday as chairperson of a committee of inquiry.
Yuill, appointed by mayor Helen Zille in response to citizens’ complaints, is expected to hand a report over to the mayor by September 15.
Among the alleged breaches under investigation is the alleged sale of meat by members at municipal offices in Gordon’s Bay, the regular closure of police offices and the ”possibility of maladministration of any kind”.
The R300 000 committee, which is funded as a mayoral project and starts work on August 14, has 30 days to produce a report.
The committee, unlike a commission of inquiry, does not have the power to subpoena external people, but officers could be instructed, in terms of the code of conduct for municipal staff, to give evidence.
Yuill said the committee, which will consist of six members in toto, will digest and evaluate any information received before making recommendations to the mayor.
”I don’t think the committee can prescribe what must be done,” said Yuill.
He said the mayor could, depending on the nature and scope of the complaints, extend his mandate to look beyond the Helderberg situation.
Dumisane Ximbi, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, said the committee wants to hold those accused of wrongdoing accountable. ”We also want to remove the cloud of suspicion currently hanging over the metro police, which unfairly reflects on dedicated and law-abiding members of the force.”
Ximbi confirmed that a preliminary internal investigation conducted by the metro police will be incorporated into the new inquiry. — Sapa