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City of Joburg Defends JMPD Chief Appointment Amid Union Objections
The City of Johannesburg has rejected calls to restart the process for appointing Patrick Jaca as the new Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) chief, despite objections raised by the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu).
Jaca’s appointment was approved by the city council in a recent meeting, and he officially began his duties on February 1.
Samwu expressed its concerns shortly before the council’s decision, citing a legal opinion that flagged the involvement of two members on the interviewing panel. The union argued that the panel should be reconstituted, as it believed the process was compromised by potential conflicts of interest.
The union’s objections were particularly focused on Vicky Manyathi, who served on the panel. Samwu claimed her previous involvement in scoring interviews made her unfit for the role, arguing that her participation undermined the process’s fairness and objectivity. Samwu contended that Manyathi should have declined the invitation to participate.
“Without a secondary conflicting legal opinion, the existing legal advice should have been fully followed. Any deviation should have been reported,” the union emphasized.
Samwu also questioned the role of Hlula Msimang, the municipality’s former head of public safety, in the recruitment process. The union suggested that Msimang’s credibility and integrity were compromised, especially for such an important position.
Mbulelo Ruda, the group executive director for corporate and shared services, responded to Samwu’s demands, stating that the union’s allegations lacked factual and legal support. Ruda firmly rejected the request to reconstitute the panel and restart the interview process.
“The appointment process, including panel member participation, followed the City of Johannesburg’s regulatory guidelines. All panel members disclosed their interests, and a thorough, fair, and transparent selection process was followed,” Ruda explained.
Ruda further dismissed Samwu’s concerns about Manyathi’s potential conflict of interest. He clarified that there was no legal basis for her disqualification from the panel, as no issues were found with her involvement.
Regarding the objections to Msimang, Ruda emphasized that the municipality had not found him guilty of any wrongdoing, allowing him to participate as an expert advisor in the selection process.
Despite Samwu’s demands for a fresh selection process, the City of Johannesburg remains confident in the legitimacy of Jaca’s appointment and the integrity of the panel members involved. The council maintains that the recruitment process was fair, transparent, and in line with the city’s established practices.
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