'Drunk' EMPD officer and his supervisor suspended
Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina said on Wednesday that the EMPD officer caught on camera “drunk driving” and allegedly in possession of a firearm had been suspended.
The video sparked outrage among politicians and tweeps, who called on authorities to hold the officer to account.
The video was shared by Yusuf Abramjee on Tuesday. It tagged the City of Ekurhuleni. Masina acknowledged the video and said action would be taken.
People of SA, I have seen the video of the drunk Metro Police and be rest assured relevant authorities in the Administration are handling the matter and will accordingly report. I know it’s a matter of public interest so will share the ACTION taken.
— Mzwandile Masina (@mzwandileMasina) September 24, 2019
The EFF's second in command, Floyd Shivambu, also condemned the conduct of the officer, calling his actions “unjustifiable”.
Police should never get to these levels of drunkenness. It’s totally unacceptable and unjustifiable! pic.twitter.com/WWPLh5a0Nu
— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) September 24, 2019
Speaking to TimesLIVE on Tuesday, acting Ekurhuleni mayor Lesiba Mpya said the city would prioritise the case to ensure action was taken.
“This is behaviour that we are not going to tolerate. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the gentleman was not in a fit and proper manner when assuming duty.
“It is a high priority case because, it's reputational damage suffered by the city.”
Shortly thereafter, Masina said the officer and his supervisor had been suspended after an internal investigation.
Thank you Chief of Police, General Mapeyeye after following due processes, has decided to suspend both the drunk Metro Officer and his Supervisor after considering other factors. I urge the public to give them space to conclude on this matter. Metro will give further details
— Mzwandile Masina (@mzwandileMasina) September 25, 2019