Custodians of Peace

That, I believe (probably erroneously) is where the Cop thing comes from. If that be the case, where does it leave the Johannesburg ratepayers? For one thing, it definitely leaves them without peace. What with over 90% of the custodians of peace out on strike?

Wayne Minaar, the superitendent and spokesperson for the Johannesburg Metropolitan Department (JMPD) will have the general public believe that it is the court's fault that the custodians of peace have downed tools and left the Jo'burgers to their own means and devices. The man was asked a pretty routine and straightforward question: would you really have us believe that ninety-odd percent of the custodians of peace went out on strike over allegations that do not exist? In response to this question the super says: the court made an order and we are complying with the order. Redi Direko explained (naively, sorry Redi) that all that the court did was to grant the cops permission to march/exercise their right to strike, which by all accounts is ok. The question though is . . .

Sup. Minaar was never going to answer that question. He was not going to have the integrity or decency to answer a question for the benefit of the unsuspecting Jo'burgers, the very Jo'burgers that pay his salary, that he is supposed to serve and on odd occassion tell them the truth about the peace and its custody in their city. No, he sat there, pretending not to hear or understand the question posed. Sort of like, this is my story and I'm sticking by it, approach. The very approach he frowns upon when motorists . . . anyway.

On a different but related topic - should custodians of peace have a right to leave us in the lurch? Yes, I have become all counter-revolutionary in my old age. Is it too much to ask for the residents of Johannesburg to expect that there will be a custodian of peace around should they need one? I say this as one of those wimps who does not want to carry his own gun and have to wake up to do the cops and robbers thing should the necessity arise. Ok, I know they don't throw down like that but you do get the point, I trust.

Wait, I get it! With a little leadership and less taking the public for brainless duds - the custodians of peace would probably, not have to leave the jo'burgers in a lurch, or would they? How can we ever know when no one bothers to tell us the simple truth. Like, we had no basis to stop the strike but we went to court to try and interdict it - using your money. Oh, the other thing, the custodians of the peace don't count for nothing, neither do you actually.

You gotta love the sup.