Joburg mayor Dada Morero criticised over JMPD jobs for foreign nationals

Newly elected Johannesburg executive mayor Dada Morero has been rapped over the knuckles for his controversial suggestion that documented foreign nationals should be recruited into the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) to help with crime fighting efforts in SA’s largest metro and financial hub. 

Joburg is the country’s economic and financial hub and contributes 40% to Gauteng’s GDP. However, it is grappling with high unemployment, violent crime, illegal immigration, inequality and deteriorating public infrastructure.

There have been incidents of xenophobia in the past, especially in townships such as Diepsloot and Alexandra, where locals went on the rampage and attacked foreigners they accused of being in the country illegally and stealing their jobs. 

Morero, who is the 10th mayor of Joburg since 2016, is the ANC Johannesburg regional executive committee (REC) chair. Addressing a regional lekgotla at the weekend, Morero said foreign nationals with “proper documents” should be involved in fighting crime. 

“I always ask this question, that none of our police, men and women in uniform, can speak any of the foreign African languages. And the challenge is for us to deal with crime and you can have all of your suspects here, before they write their statements, they can plan what they are going to say in front of you, without you even hearing what they are saying,” Morero said during the lekgotla. 

“It might be a culture shock to suggest to this REC that if we are serious about fighting crime ... we have no option but those [foreign nationals] that are properly documented, with proper documents, can be recruited to the Johannesburg Metro Police Department.” 

Morero later sought to clarify his remarks, telling eNCA that because the metro faced high levels of unemployment, the view from his comrades was “let’s find other alternative methods to help us address the language barrier, which may mean taking officers for training”. 

“It may mean that in certain instances the courts already do have interpreters to help us deal with some of the matters. In the courts, a case may prolong because we have to go through a process of procuring somebody who understands French or any other language, whether isiNdebele or Shona, which cannot be understood by the SA courts.” 

He argued that metropolitan cities around the world were inclusive and this helped them to “effectively deal with crime and criminals”. 

Morero, the erstwhile finance political head, was roundly criticised for his remarks, including by his own comrades, such as Gauteng premier and ANC provincial chair Panyaza Lesufi, who said the party did “not agree with this proposal”. 

“We held discussions with our regional chairperson and executive mayor, who advised us that the ANC Johannesburg lekgotla rejected his proposal and he fully accepts the decision not to entertain this proposal further. 

“We remain committed to ensure that our law enforcement agencies are appropriately trained to tackle challenges created by crime. Our sincerest apologies for the confusion and pain caused by this proposal,” Lesufi said. 

EFF Joburg chair Sepetlele Raseruthe said the proposal was “a betrayal of the working class, particularly the unemployed youth of SA, who continue to be relegated to the margins of economic and social life”. 

Raseruthe said it was an “affront to the sovereignty of our nation” and Lesufi’s “denouncement of Morero’s view is a testament to the internal contradictions and disunity that have become synonymous with the ANC’s government”. 

“We demand that the City of Johannesburg immediately abandon this reactionary proposal and focus on empowering South Africans, particularly the youth, to serve their communities with pride and dedication,” he said. 

DA Joburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said Morero’s remarks were unfortunate because “there are laws governing recruitment of JMPD officers, the law is very clear that recruits need to be SA citizens”. 

If the issue was the language barrier, law enforcement officers could be trained so that “they are able to communicate with the perpetrators”. 

In a media briefing on Monday to announce the outcomes of the lekgotla, Morero said: “I have come to the conclusion that my suggestion was not consistent with the policies of the ANC and policies of government. I therefore unconditionally withdraw my proposal and apologise for the anxiety it might have caused to the residents of Johannesburg and to the people of SA as a whole.”

Tabling the community safety department’s budget vote in the provincial legislature in Johannesburg in July, Lesufi said Gauteng had 38,290 law enforcement agents, including the police. The SA Police Service accounts for 26,000 members; Joburg metro police 4,000, Ekurhuleni police department 2,000, Tshwane metro police 3,000 and Rand West City local municipality 233, among other municipalities.  

mkentanel@businesslive.co.za