What is Ekurhuleni hiding by not releasing the armoury audit report

I have submitted a request for a copy of the Ekurhuleni armoury audit report under the Promotion of Access to Information Act.

This has been necessary due to the fact that the Ekurhuleni Metro seems to be doing everything in their power to not make the highly sensitive report public.

All efforts by Ekurhuleni Metro Councillor Jaco Terblanch in getting the audit report made public have fallen on deaf ears.

CouncillorTerblanch asked questions in Council on 26 September 2017, where in the reply he was promised that the report would be available on 31 October 2017.

This has never materialized.

He then sent a letter to the MMC on Community Safety on 2 November 2017 requesting the report, but to no avail.

During the Community Safety oversight meeting held on 13 March 2018, the  Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department undertook to give the members of the meeting the armoury audit assessment and report by 16 March 2018, which they then delayed to 6 April 2018.

When Councillor Terblanch tabled a motion on 26 April 2018  in the Council meeting, the Council took a decision that the report would be tabled on 8 May 2018 at the Community Safety oversight meeting which was then further delayed to 5 June 2018. It has still not been tabled.

I then asked a question in Parliament, where the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs indicated that a comprehensive audit assessment of all Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department’s firearms is currently being conducted by the directorate responsible for priority crime investigations. The Minister further promised that the firearms audit assessment findings and the report thereof would be presented to the Council during September 2018.

The findings were never tabled.

It is obvious that the ANC is trying to hide something embarrassing in the report. Otherwise why will they not release the report?

Chapter 11 (99) (d) and (e) of the Firearm Control Act, 60 of 2000 provides the following guidelines in terms of the storage, disposal, transfer, loss, theft or destruction of firearms:

(d) particulars regarding the disposal, transfer, loss, theft or destruction of firearms contemplated in paragraph (a); and

(e) if a firearm is lost or stolen, particulars regarding the report of the loss or theft to the South African Police Service

It is obvious that the Ekurhuleni Metro has failed to adhere to the law and is running scared in this regard.

One must ask how many weapons are actually unaccounted for, for the ANC to use such delaying tactics?

In addition, the MMC for Community Safety, Alderman  Vivian Chauke, is in contempt of Council for failing to execute a resolution of Council and must explain why she has not released the report to date.

Media Enquiries

Michael Waters MPDA Deputy Chief Whip and Lethabong Constituency Head

Parliament of RSA082 902 4523