The OR Tambo District Municipality (ORTDM) is planning to tap into the experience and wisdom of retired police officers, as part of fighting crime and devising new crimefighting strategies in the district municipality.
This is according to general manager in the office of the ORTDM executive mayor, Milile Daweti.
Daweti made the remarks as he addressed a gathering of retired police officers under the banner of the Eastern Cape Police Pensioners Association (ECPPA) at the SMJ Events and Conference Centre in Mthatha last week, February 15.
The gathering, a bi-annual occurrence, is where members of the ECPPA meet to take stock of challenges facing their members, as well as strides taken to improve the lives of their members.
“Crime is getting out of control in the district municipality and our view is that we should be able to tap into the wisdom of those who came before us, in the form of retired police officers, to devise new ways and strategies to bring the situation under control,” said Daweti.
King Sabata Dalindyebo executive mayor, Nyaniso Nelani, speaking after the recent murder of seven people in Upper Qunu, Mthatha, also expressed his concern at the high rate of crime in the local municipality – which is among the five municipalities that form the OR Tambo District.
Daweti said that the district municipality would soon meet with leadership of the ECPPA to devise ways of working together in fighting crime.
“I must admit that we have isolated retired police officers instead of taking advantage of their wisdom and the expertise they can offer in fighting crime today. That is why we will soon meet with their leadership to find a structured way of working together in this regard,” Daweti added.
ECPPA former president, Colonel Velile Mtangayi (retired), said the association was formed in 2017 after having realised that some retired police officers died as paupers, and their funerals lacked credibility, as there was no-one to give a detailed account of their contributions while serving as police officers during a funeral service.
“We have set up different committees that attend to the needs of our members on an ongoing basis, such as the bereavement committee, which deals with ensuring a dignified send off and credible account of one’s contribution to the police force upon death,” said Mtangayi.
The gathering, at SMJ Events and Conference Centre, was for the Mthatha branch of the Eastern Cape Police Pensioners Association.
