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The Democratic Alliance can reveal that the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) pays a staggering R48 million per annum for the deployment of its Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department officers (EMPD) at the O.R. Tambo International Airport.

In addition, the Department of Justice has received R19.5 million in the collection of fines issued by the EMPD at the airport - not one single cent was given back to the CoE.

This was revealed in replies to questions in Parliament and in the CoE.

Why should the ratepayers of the CoE pay the entire cost of having EMPD officers at the airport when it is a National Key Point and services the entire country?

Ekurhuleni’s ratepayers are being taken for a ride.

At the very least, all monies received through fines issued at the airport should be given to the CoE to offset the crippling costs of having 127 EMPD officers and Traffic Wardens at the airport. In addition, Airport Companies South Africa (ACSA), as the client, ought to pay the remainder of the costs.

To add insult to injury ACSA charges the CoE a monthly rental of R16 000 plus VAT for premises, so that the EMPD officers have a precinct. This should be free.

Currently the CoE is crippled by a financial crisis so severe that it has failed to pay service providers, within the legal 30-day period, to the value of R2.7 billion in addition it is liable for a further R2.9 billion in invoices payable between 1-29 days. The CoE is technically bankrupt and is in the ICU.

Issued by Michael Waters MPL - DA Kempton Park Constituency Head