By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Legal practioner Pule Seleka, has been appointed to lead a team investigating the City of Johannesburg’s Group Forensics and Investigating Services (GFIS) department.
The announcement was made by Speaker of Council Margaret Arnolds on Sunday.
The team has been established to investigate allegations of unlawful conduct by the metro’s group forensics and investigation services, which were previously reported to the council.
In March 2023, senior department officials were suspended pending an investigation into allegations levelled against them.
A report found that there were irregularities with some of the investigations conducted by GFIS.
“The investigation process by Advocate Seleka will also look into allegations that were reported in the 13th ordinary council of the City of Johannesburg that investigations conducted by GIFS were neither compliant with the local government disciplinary regulations for senior managers,” Arnold told a media briefing.
“The decision to establish a committee-led investigation process is authorised by resolutions that were taken by the council.”
Seleka was part of the commission of inquiry into state capture, which was established in 2018.
Meanwhile the metro will spend over R3 million a month on VIP protection with 60 bodyguards and 40 vehicles – emulating the blue-light culture that costs South Africa more than policing services for serious crimes.
The City of Johannesburg’s ANC-EFF coalition government reduced and revised its budget from R83 billion to R76 billion due to declining revenue, which has wreaked havoc on service delivery.
MMC for Finance Dada Morero has admitted the city’s billing for services was below budget by R3.4 billion, while overspending on bulk services was R342 million.
He added that the city was losing a third of its water and electricity revenue to factors such as servicing indigent residents, theft, and leaks.
The City has introduced a policy that grants VIP protection to committee chairpersons and councillors, along with the executive, resulting in a larger number of individuals receiving the service.
The DA and ActionSA opposed the splurge, but the governing coalition passed it with a slim majority.
The city’s politicians will receive roughly 60 bodyguards and 40 vehicles from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD).
Executive Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda will now be provided with 10 bodyguards from the JMPD and eight cars from its fleet, which include luxury vehicles from brands such as BMW, VW, Lexus, and Toyota.
Arnolds will have a convoy of five cars and eight bodyguards assigned to her.
The city added that these VIP services will be provided for 12 hours a day and cost just over R3 million a month – which works out to just over R54,000 per bodyguard.
Arnolds defended the policy and said that the provisions aligned with the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act, and no diversion of service delivery resources were involved.
She said the policy has been adjusted given the highest risk to the safety of office bearers in the province, evidenced in the the shooting of council Chief Whip Sithembiso Zungu in January.