Issued by: Gauteng Legislature
24 July 1998
The Gauteng Legislature has strongly refuted claims that its security personnel had failed to assist a National party official who was mugged near the institution earlier this week.
This follows claims by the NP that Ian Saunderson, an official employed by the party at its legislature office, was refused help by the Gauteng Legislature Protection Services (GLPS) after he was mugged "about 20 metres" from the building in downtown Johannesburg on Wednesday.
In a statement to the media, NP spokesperson Julian Killian charged that the failure of the GLPS to render help during muggings showed the inability "to ensure the safety and security of members, employees and the public in the legislature precinct".
She further charged that this defeated "the principle aim of accessible and democratic government".
The Secretary of the Gauteng Legislature, Mr Michael Coetzee pointed out that the GLPS was only responsible for security in the immediate vicinity of the legislature. This spread from the building to the inside of the opposite pavements of the roads surrounding the legislature.
"A full report on the incident has been obtained by the department responsible for safety and security. The reality is that the GLPS's role is confined to the immediate vicinity, taking in Market, President, Rissik and Harrison streets.
"Their primary role is to make the immediate environs safe for members, employees and public. They do not have a crime-prevention role in the city centre. That task falls under the aegis of the Johannesburg Central Police Station," said Mr Coetzee.
The report on the incident had indicated that the NP official had been accosted between Fox and Commissioner streets, far outside the precinct of the legislature.
Mr Coetzee added that the GLPS had recently been upgraded and refocused to heighten its commitment to protecting people and the environs around the legislature.