Newly appointed Johannesburg metro police officers who downed tools to protest against a lack of equipment went back to work on Tuesday, police said.
”Officers were told that if they did not go back to work then they would be charged, since they form part of an essential service,” said metro police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar.
Minnaar said that the officers — who stopped work on November 12 — were in the second phase of their training.
He said they had not been provided with service pistols as they were being tested on whether they were competent enough to use them.
”These officers did not go out alone, they accompanied a unit sergeant who taught them various tasks, including the issuing of fines, directing traffic, driving skills, as well as firearm skills,” Minnaar said.
Out of 130 officers, 90 were given firearms on Friday.
”It must also be understood that we could not issue service pistols to them as we were concerned about the safety of the community as well,” Minnaar said.
The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) said it was concerned about the safety of the officers.
”Metro police management were incompetent for putting the lives of new police officers at risk.
”How were members of the public even supposed to identify these workers as metro police officers? These workers were not even able to perform the most basic functions without the necessary equipment, such as torches and pepper spray,” said Samwu spokesperson Dumisani Langa.
”The mere fact that the bosses want to charge these workers shows the depth of the mismanagement of the Johannesburg metro police force.”
Langa said a meeting with the chief of metro police and the councillor responsible for public safety was scheduled for Wednesday. Minnaar, however, could not confirm this. — Sapa