The Ekurhuleni metro, Gauteng’s industrial hub, is beset by a traffic management crisis that has resulted in the city unable to issue, process and capture traffic fines, the DA says, but the acting metro police chief says everything is going well.
The DA expressed concern that Ekurhuleni metro police department (EMPD) officials were unable to perform their duties after the metro’s contract with a road safety and fine management service provider expired in 2024.
EMPD is an entity of the City of Ekurhuleni, which comprises Clayville, Thembisa, Kempton Park, Bedfordview, Alberton, Katlehong, Vosloorus, Daveyton, Benoni, Boksburg, Brakpan, Springs, KwaThema, Geduld, Dunnottar, Vorsterkroon, Nigel and Mackenzieville.
The non-issuing, processing and capturing of traffic fines could hit the metro where it hurts most: revenue collection.
EMPD’s eight-year contract with Syntell expired on June 30 2024, and was extended by three months to September 30 2024. The company was hired to deal with the capturing and processing of fines, warrants and summons, as well as providing the technology for automatic number plate recognition.
DA Ekurhuleni community safety spokesperson Jaco Terblanche said the party was “highly concerned” as the EMPD officers were unable to “effectively carry out their responsibilities due to a lack of essential resources”.
“The current fining management system tender, held by Syntell, lapsed in September 2024 and to date no service provider has been appointed. While the City of Ekurhuleni provides fine books for issuing speeding tickets, officers are left with no choice but to arrest residents for minor traffic violations,” Terblanche said.
“This not only creates distress for individuals experiencing the trauma of arrest but also paves the way for corruption within the EMPD and SAPS.
“The DA has been informed by residents who have been in this situation that they have been solicited for bribes to escape their predicament. Not only is this illegal and untenable, but the city is also missing out on valuable revenue because officers are unable to issue fines.”
Terblanche said his party was committed to fighting for the rights of EMPD officers and advocating for the resources they require to serve the community better.
“We are equally committed to protecting residents from unscrupulous elements in the EMPD who are using this situation to their advantage to carry out illegal activities,” he said.
“I have submitted questions to the council to ascertain what measures are in place to mitigate the dire consequences of the ANC-EFF-ASA coalition in the city’s inability to perform its duties.
“We call on residents to stand against corruption and refuse to pay off corrupt officials. Together, we can restore integrity and trust in our law enforcement system.”
However, in an interview with Business Day on Monday, EMPD acting chief Julius Mkhwanazi said the EMPD’s own in-house system, the Integrated Law Enforcement Management System (Ilems), went live on January 10 and that there was no need for panic.
He stressed the Ilems system was up and running and was managed by “internally trained back-office staff. This system is owned by the city, we can’t be privatising law enforcement or have evergreen contracts forever”.
Mkhwanazi would not say how much the Syntell contract has cost the metro over the past eight years.
Syntell did not immediately respond to questions sent to it.
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