METRO POLICE BAND PLAYS TO THE TUNE OF R51M Du P Martins While the Tshwane metro police has decided to sell large portions of land in an effort to bolster its dwindling revenue, it still saw fit to establish a full-time ceremonial band and choir unit in the metro police ranks to the tune of R51m. The band, which up to now has been functioning on an ad hoc basis, has been used in virtually every big event where the Tshwane metro police mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa officiated. Their first (and disastrous) performance was earlier this year. Fifty-four officers will be exempted from street to dedicate themselves full-time to the unit. They will be deployed at events such as street parades, police funerals, memorial services and functions hosted by the municipality. The formation of this new unit within the metro police ranks was approved at the council meeting of 31 October. The unit will comprise of 83 staff members, whereof 33 will be band members who are all metro police officers, 42 choir members (21 officers and 21 civilians) and 8 employee assistance members. Minutes for a mayoral committee meeting complied in May state that the salaries in the unit will amount to R51,4m. The cost of instruments, ceremonial unit forms, flags, podium and sound equipment is given to be R881 267. Even though the unit has been operating for a few months now, the formation and the financial implications of it came as somewhat of a shock to the DA counsellors. Counsellor Karen Meyer, the DA spokesperson on safety and security, said the council was not made aware of the unit’s costs. “The section 79 oversight committee, which the DA sits on, never saw the annexures related to financial implications. Clearly we were blindsided in council not to be shown the relevant annexures to be able to make an informed decision. We were made to believe that supernumerary personnel from various departments would be allocated to the unit. The fact that police personnel are taken off the streets while at the same time we have a shortage of metro police personnel is not acceptable,” said Meyer. Meyer added that the fact that the financial implications of the band and choir was withheld from them clearly indicated that the council was well aware that the proposal of the formation of it would have been opposed. “paying R51m for a luxury such as a band while there are other projects in dire need of finances is ludicrous. It clearly shows that the municipality has their priorities wrong. We are not against a band, it adds lustre to our city, but only as long as it does not cost the taxpayer money or infringe on the proper running of the departments,” she said. According to reports, the financial services department of the municipality warned that the unit’s establishment would have significant financial implications for the city. It advised the mayoral committee that the metro police department should rather submit this project through the normal budgeting process as well as provide sufficient motivation for their inclusion and possible funding.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 20:06:02 +0000
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