By Levy Masiteng
Around 300 Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) vehicles are in workshops, leaving the metro with fewer vehicles to respond to crime and protect residents, DA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane claimed on Wednesday.
She was at the Ekurhuleni Fleet Workshop in Primrose, Germiston, where she announced plans to overhaul the EMPD amid growing concerns about violent crime and the deaths of 12 women in the metro in less than two months.
Rasilingwane said Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Infrastructure Development MEC Jacob Mamabolo had confirmed that about 300 EMPD vehicles were out of service.
“No one has been held accountable for the cars,” she claimed.
“We did ask why the cars are still stuck; why are they not on the streets making sure people are safe? It doesn’t take a whole year to fix a tyre. Why are the resources not being fixed?”
Rasilingwane said the vehicles were said to be unavailable because of mechanical breakdowns, maintenance and repairs, and accident damage.
The DA said the fleet problems were particularly concerning as residents demand greater police visibility and faster responses to crime.
“We will conduct vehicle checks and make sure all vehicles are serviced and back on the roads to conduct their duties,” Rasilingwane said.
She also claimed that a verification process conducted in 2022 identified more than 275 EMPD officers with previous criminal convictions, while another 100 were awaiting trial.
“In February this year the city started the vetting of more than 3,000 EMPD officers after a four-year gap,” Rasilingwane said.
“Out of 3,000 in April, 125 were confirmed for questionable crimes. Why did it take them four years to start vetting and why are so many EMPD officers involved in crimes?”
The concerns over policing capacity come as Ekurhuleni continues to grapple with high levels of kidnappings.
Kempton Park recorded 76 kidnapping cases between April and June 2026, making it the highest-recording police precinct for kidnapping in Gauteng during the quarter.
“The figure represented a 58% increase from the 48 cases recorded during the same period in 2025,” Rasilingwane said.
The figures were also highlighted by the Gauteng legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety, which called for an urgent and coordinated response to the province’s kidnapping crisis.
The kidnapping concerns have also coincided with reports of women fearing for their lives in Kempton Park.
In September, a woman reportedly escaped an alleged abduction in the area, although details surrounding the incident remain unclear.
Rasilingwane said the deaths of the 12 women whose bodies were found across Ekurhuleni have heightened fear in the area and across the country.
The 12 cases were reported in areas including Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, KwaThema, Springs, Dawn Park and Tembisa. Police have cautioned that investigations have not established if the cases are linked.
Three of the bodies remain unidentified, according to Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Tommy Mthombeni.
Rasilingwane said the deaths had highlighted the need for the city to strengthen its local crime-fighting capacity.
“We are gathered here because our city is not safe, communities and women are living in fear because the EMPD is not doing anything. We have to turn the grief into action. How many must be killed to say enough is enough?”
She said a DA-led administration would seek to strengthen the EMPD through technology and closer cooperation with other law enforcement structures.
“We will have CCTV, crime data analysis, gunfire detection, a smarter crime alert that must help us identify hotspots of criminals and help respond faster,” she said.
Rasilingwane also proposed stronger cooperation between the EMPD, SAPS, neighbourhood watches and communities, with a particular focus on areas where women are considered most vulnerable.
“We won’t wait to react but take action.”
In November 2025, the EMPD received 68 new vehicles, including 50 Volkswagen Polos, 10 GTIs and eight motorcycles. At the time the city said the fleet would improve crime prevention, traffic policing and response times.
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