Big Report: Metro Police Hired People With Criminal Records
News Summary
A new report to Parliament says the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) has 63 officers with past convictions, including murder, and that vetting of staff was poorly done. The report also shows five big cities wasted billions of rand and failed to act against staff who broke the rules.
Originally reported by Daily Maverick.
Why It Matters
Hiring Checks Matter for Every Job
This story is about more than police. It shows what happens when bosses do not check who they hire. In Ekurhuleni, 3,586 metro police staff were checked in May. The check found 275 officers had past convictions, such as murder, rape, theft and fraud. Another 55 officers got 72 new convictions while they were working. There were also 114 officers facing 173 criminal charges.
When a workplace skips proper background checks, honest workers suffer. Good staff may feel unsafe. The public loses trust. Money that should pay salaries, fix roads and keep people safe gets wasted or stolen.
What This Means for Jobs in South Africa
The report also found that the five metros wasted R24.5-billion in one year. Some of this came from bad contracts, poor record keeping and weak computer systems. Ekurhuleni alone lost about R2.5-billion because of IT failures and cyber attacks. Cities also wrote off traffic fines worth R2.7-billion.
This opens the door to new kinds of jobs. Cities now need people who can:
- Check staff records and run proper background vetting
- Find fraud and wasteful spending as auditors or investigators
- Protect computer systems from hackers and data leaks
- Run clean, fair hiring and procurement processes
- Handle discipline cases and make sure rules are followed
Jobs in compliance, auditing, human resources and cybersecurity are growing because of problems like these. If you have these skills, you can help fix broken systems and build a fairer workplace for everyone.
Why Job Seekers Should Care
Government and state-owned offices often hire for these roles. The jobs are stable, and they pay well. But they also ask for clean records and strong proof of your skills. If you want one of these jobs, keep your record clean, be honest on your forms, and get the right training.
Skills In Demand
From Live Job DatabaseCareer Tip
"If you want to work for a city, police force or government office, get your police clearance certificate before you apply, keep copies of all your qualifications and payslips, and never lie on an application form. One small lie about your record can end your chance of being hired. If you want a job in auditing, compliance or cybersecurity, start with free short courses online and add them to your CV to show you are serious."
