The governing ActionSA/ANC/EFF coalition in the Tshwane Metro has left critical municipal infrastructure and key facilities completely unsecured, just two weeks before the elections.
For the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus), there is only one sensible conclusion: Security contracts were deliberately, or through gross negligence, allowed to lapse so as to pave the way for total anarchy once voters oust the current administration on 4 November.
Because of the city administration’s reckless conduct, there is currently no control of public access to high-risk facilities, which already creates the perfect conditions for anarchy in the run-up to and immediately after the upcoming elections.
A concerned member of the public’s recent visit to the Wonderboom Airport has laid bare the extent of the problem. Upon arrival, he was informed that the Metro’s security access permits are non-functional and that there is no new stock available.
Consequently, members of the public are simply allowed access without stating the reason for their visit or providing identification and registration details. Under normal circumstances, a person is required to produce an identity document, provide the vehicle registration details and declare their destination. At present, anyone can move among the Airport’s critical infrastructure without being subjected to any security checks.
This is completely unacceptable at a facility that supports more than 2 500 people, accommodates dozens of aviation businesses and facilitates thousands of aircraft movements each year. It is particularly alarming because high-risk flights – including frequent flights undertaken by the South African Mint to distribute cash supplies throughout the country – depart from this Airport.
The same pattern played out at other key municipal facilities whose security contracts expired around 1 October without proper follow-up arrangements. As a result, the Temba Water Treatment Plant and various other infrastructure assets have already been looted. Numerous electricity substations are equally unprotected.
The Freedom Front Plus sent an urgent letter to the Municipal Manager, Mr Johann Mettler, requesting emergency measures.
In the letter, the Freedom Front Plus calls for:
• existing security contracts to be immediately extended until after the elections on a month-to-month basis.
• immediate instructions for the Metro’s security services, including the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD), to secure infrastructure, airport facilities and other key sites.
The current administration has had months to ensure a seamless transition. Instead, residents and businesses are needlessly exposed to security risks, while the political parties in the coalition are focused solely on protecting their own interests.
The coalition led by Mayor Nasiphi Moya has consistently demonstrated that it is unable to govern properly. Lapsing security contracts, inadequate access control and a lack of proactive steps are symptoms of a broader breakdown in oversight. If this pattern is allowed to continue, it will surely open the door for more illegal activities, sabotage and anarchy after the elections.
The Freedom Front Plus implores Mr Mettler and the Mayor to take action at once: extend the contracts, deploy the TMPD and other security services, and provide a comprehensive public account of the interim security arrangements at Wonderboom Airport and other key facilities.
