Restriction on the use of a single vehicle allocated to Seven Fountains police station is hindering police work, according to disgruntled officers.
Restriction on the use of a single vehicle allocated to Seven Fountains police station is hindering police work, according to disgruntled officers.
Grocott's Mail recently reported on the plight of police officers who resorted to hitch-hiking to work after their vehicle was removed from the station ('Hitch-hiking cops in station transport tussle, Grocott's Mail 11 July 2014). The move followed an investigation by the Public Protector.
Although the team has now been given a courtesy van, the matter has taken a new turn.
Speaking on condition of anonymity one of the members told Grocotts that they must abandon the police station three hours before the end of their 12-hour shift, in order to catch a lift that leaves at 4pm.
The SAPS members live in Grahamstown but work at the Seven Fountains station. Seven Fountains is a farming area 13km from Grahamstown and falls under the Grahamstown Police Unit. The source said police authorities have imposed stringent conditions on the use of the van.
"The van is available from 6am to 6pm. It has to be parked at the Grahamstown Police station in Beaufort Street, with keys handed over to the head before 6pm," the source said. The source said the van is used both by administration staff and police officers. The working hours for administration staff is 8am to 4pm.
"The problem now is that we all leave for work at 6am and arrive at 6.15am. But our day starts at 7am (for officers) and 8am (for clerks) and we don't get paid for working those extra hours." Grahamstown police spokesperson, Captain Mali Govender declined talk about investigations into use of the vehicle. In an email to Grocott's Mail Govender said the matter was under investigation and she couldn't release any information. According to Grocott's Mail's source, the new time restriction on use of the van is also compromising service delivery.
"We can't react quickly to call-outs because we must all wait for the van used by the police and admin staff," the source said. Last month the officers were left without transport to work after the Grahamstown police head took all the vans. In a statement to Grocott's Mail, Cluster Commander of the Grahamstown Police Brigadier Morgan Govender said his move followed complaints by the office of the Public Protector and the office of the MEC for Safety and Liaison in the Eastern Cape.
Govender said their had been a complaint about "abuse of state-owned vehicles at Seven Fountains Police Station". Govender told Grocott's Mail last month that the police were not obliged to provide transport for employees to and from their place of residence.
"Authority may be granted in certain exceptional circumstances only after an application is received," said Govender. He said members of the police sign an agreement upon appointment, acknowledging that they are responsible for their own transport to and from work.
One of the officers claimed that depriving them of transport was Govender's response to an earlier complaint against him [Govender].
Police trade union Popcru was expected to meet with the senior officials at the Grahamstown police in an effort to iron out the matter.
