The newly inaugurated Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department Chief of Police, Themba Patrick Jaca, has pledged to enforce strict laws to protect the urban infrastructure.
Jaca stated, "The homeless people who are doing illegal point duties will be removed from the intersections, and if possible, they will be detained. There is a charge in terms of the Road Traffic Act, where impersonating a traffic officer or police officer is a serious offence that can lead to an arrest.
"The only way to deal with crime and lawlessness in the city is to deal with it harshly through visible policing, making sure that we target the hotspot areas, utilising undercover units and the South African Police Service (SAPS)."
"The vandalism of our traffic lights is not only a crime but also a direct attack on the safety and wellbeing of our citizens.
"We are committed to working with our partners to bring those responsible to justice and restore order to our roads," Jaca said.
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On the JMPD Facebook page, Terry-Lee Heuer commented, "Let's hope he can get his officers to control non-working traffic lights; that would be amazing if he can get that right."
IOL spoke to Kenny Dube, a truck driver at Gebani Logistics, who said: "Most of Johannesburg's robots are not working; we rely on the homeless to direct traffic and also the OUTsurance Pointmans when the JMPD are not there; it saves us time that we spend on the road; removing them will put our work under pressure and cause more delays.
"Instead of removing these people who try to make a living in this economy, they should hire them and offer them a salary."
The City of Johannesburg is grappling with a surge in infrastructure vandalism, particularly targeting traffic lights, leading to increased traffic congestion and safety concerns. Based on the report published in January by the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA), it indicates that homeless individuals are frequently implicated in these acts, often compounded by their attempts to "manage" traffic flow in exchange for money.
At least 369 traffic signals are damaged as a result of theft and vandalism. Because of the vandalism, the city now has a R70 million backlog to repair stolen or vandalised traffic lights. JRA's funding, meanwhile, has fallen by 54% in seven years, from R1.4 billion in 2016/17 to R800 million in 2023/24.
The Johannesburg Mayor, Dada Morero, emphasised that "the police must use the ward-based policing to ensure that the city and the communities are protected."
MMC for Public Safety, Cllr Mgcini Tshwaku, complimented Jaca on his honesty, vision, and devotion.
"Chief Jaca's extensive experience and unwavering commitment to justice make him the ideal leader to steer the JMPD towards excellence and ensure a safer Johannesburg for all," said Tshwaku.
IOL