Gauteng will protect councillors whose lives are under threat from disgruntled communities and criminals.
So says the MEC of local government and housing, Humphrey Mmemezi, who has vowed this province will not be like Mpumalanga or Durban where politicians are regularly killed.
His promise came in the wake of attacks on homes of two councillors at Chiawelo in Soweto and the slaying of another in KwaZulu-Natal. Councillors in Eden Park have also allegedly received threats because of the government stance to evict illegal occupants of RDP houses.
Mmemezi wants councillors who are under threat in Gauteng to be protected by bodyguards.
“There are a few councillors who are operating under threat and they must be protected,” he said.
“It is horrifying that some councillors who have been killed in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal had received threats but were not protected.”
The MEC said he was not calling for permanent or ongoing security for councillors but wanted protection if and when the need arose.
“Here in Gauteng, since we lead in everything, we are also going to be number one in protecting our councillors by being proactive,” Mmemezi said.
“We are talking about providing security to less than 10% of our 1105 councillors in Gauteng who are working under threat.”
On paying for the security, Mmemezi said municipalities should work with the security cluster as his department had no intention of providing the budget for councillor protection.
“Municipalities have access to VIP protection units and we want to call on them to provide security for vulnerable councillors if necessary.”
Mmemezi said councillors were soft targets for criminals.
“They do not attack me or the Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale, yet they will target councillors when a dispute about housing arises.”
Mmemezi called on police to punish those who attacked councillors and for communities and government to condemn the attacks.
“Criminals must not touch my councillors. They are doing a good job and everyone must condemn any attacks on them,” he said.
Mmemezi said it was the responsibility of the government to protect every citizen, especially former councillors whose lives were in constant danger because of the work they had done for the government.
- The New Age
So says the MEC of local government and housing, Humphrey Mmemezi, who has vowed this province will not be like Mpumalanga or Durban where politicians are regularly killed.
His promise came in the wake of attacks on homes of two councillors at Chiawelo in Soweto and the slaying of another in KwaZulu-Natal. Councillors in Eden Park have also allegedly received threats because of the government stance to evict illegal occupants of RDP houses.
Mmemezi wants councillors who are under threat in Gauteng to be protected by bodyguards.
“There are a few councillors who are operating under threat and they must be protected,” he said.
“It is horrifying that some councillors who have been killed in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal had received threats but were not protected.”
The MEC said he was not calling for permanent or ongoing security for councillors but wanted protection if and when the need arose.
“Here in Gauteng, since we lead in everything, we are also going to be number one in protecting our councillors by being proactive,” Mmemezi said.
“We are talking about providing security to less than 10% of our 1105 councillors in Gauteng who are working under threat.”
On paying for the security, Mmemezi said municipalities should work with the security cluster as his department had no intention of providing the budget for councillor protection.
“Municipalities have access to VIP protection units and we want to call on them to provide security for vulnerable councillors if necessary.”
Mmemezi said councillors were soft targets for criminals.
“They do not attack me or the Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale, yet they will target councillors when a dispute about housing arises.”
Mmemezi called on police to punish those who attacked councillors and for communities and government to condemn the attacks.
“Criminals must not touch my councillors. They are doing a good job and everyone must condemn any attacks on them,” he said.
Mmemezi said it was the responsibility of the government to protect every citizen, especially former councillors whose lives were in constant danger because of the work they had done for the government.
- The New Age
1 comment:
ehm if the community is disgruntled then it's not because the councilor is doing a good job....
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