The JMPD’s Internal Affairs Directorate has called on residents of Dube to join efforts to clamp down on fraud and corruption within the municipal police force.
We need members of the public to keep a watchful eye on corruption within the JMPD and to blow the whistle. We want you to be our eyes and ears to watch against unethical behavior among JMPD officers, “says Sergeant Frans Mabusela, Team Leader of the Pro-Active Intervention Unit within the Internal Affairs Directorate.
The JMPD Directorate is designed to promote and enforce the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and accountability within the city’s police service.
Addressing a large group of neighborhood watchers in Dube on Thursday, January 20, Mabusela said it was every resident’s responsibility to report any criminal activity or corruption in the JMPD that contradicts ethical values.
He’s encouraged them to become ambassadors of the JMPD’s anti-corruption campaign, designed to mobilize city officials and citizens, including the city’s leadership, to publicly take a stand against corruption.
The JMPD Sergeant says reporting misconduct and corruption by JMPD officers is an honorable thing to do.
He explains that “corruption includes any person who directly and indirectly offers or accepts bribes, abuses a position of authority, commits any illegal act, or dishonesty.”
When reporting corrupt JMPD officers, residents need to include the date, time, day, address or location of the alleged incident, and a full description of the officers involved, including the officer’s badge number or any other evidence such as pictures, videos, traffic tickets, medical reports, or the nature and extent of injuries, if any.
However, he warns the public not to provoke officers found wanting, but rather to report the incident in a manner that does not put their lives in danger.
As a # JMPDAntiCorruption ambassador, Nhlanhla Mboyeza says he’s committed to curbing the scourge of corruption in the city’s police service, because the effects of corruption have led the community to lose confidence in the JMPD.
“The # JMPDAntiCorruption campaign will aid efforts to remove corrupt JMPD officers who tarnish the city’s reputation.”I hope it gets rolled out throughout Soweto, so we can all be part of efforts to clean up the JMPD, “said Kabelo Moatsi, a resident of Dube.
JMPD Inspector Lesiba Monetha says the public has been supportive in the fight against corruption within the JMPD.
“It shows that we will have a stronger relationship with the community of Dube and be able to fight against corruption and crime together,” Monetha says.
Ntsoaki Phali, from the Dube Neighborhood Watch, says the # JMPDAntiCorruption campaign is a much-needed intervention because there is a high level of alleged corruption and fraud in the community.
“We want the community to learn that it is their responsibility to report the corruption happening in the JMPD in Soweto and which platforms to use when reporting these incidents instead of taking the law into their own hands,” says Phali.
She says the Dube Neighborhood Watch is excited to join efforts with the city to fight corruption in the JMPD. As a safety structure, we are excited about this partnership with the city. These are the types of collaborations that we need as community members, especially around safety, corruption, and fraud, “she explains.
To become a #JMPDAntiCorruption ambassador, email Maccabim@joburg.org.za or telephone 011 490 1814.
If residents do not wish to become official # JMPDAntiCorruption ambassadors, they can still participate actively in the cause of curbing corruption in the municipal police service by reporting it and educating others about it, “says Mabusela.
When lodging a complaint, residents are encouraged to telephone the anti-corruption hotline on 0800 203 712, send a WhatsApp to 063 253 1928 or email a detailed complaint to ChristopherNet@joburg.org.za; alternatively, visit the Wemmer Complex, at 22 Loveday Street, Marshalltown.
Written by Gontse ‘GeE’ Hlophe and Bongiwe Radebe
21/1/2022