JMPD, EMS veterans are simply the best

27 August 2015

 

The JMPD Academy in Booysens on Friday August 21 reverberated to the sounds of Tina Turner’s all-time classic hit, Simply the Best.

 

It was an aptly chosen song for the occasion – the presentation of long-service awards to more than 250 tireless public safety employees who served the City of Johannesburg with loyalty, dedication and commitment over the years. The recipients – 186 from the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and 72 from the Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) – were, to put it in simple terms, simply the best.

 

Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety Councillor Sello Lemao stressed this in the keynote address.

 

“You joined the City when you were young and have pioneered the way for us to move confidently into the future. We are very proud to be associated with you,” he said.

 

MMC Lemao said it was a pleasure to recognise the commitment that had been demonstrated “by these men and women, who have served us for so long with exemplary dignity”. It was a moving moment when the first 10 long-serving employees were called. It was a wonderful spectacle to watch the veterans doing their drills as they made their way to the podium to receive their long-service certificates.

 

Among them was NH Dlamini, who holds the distinction of having served the City for 44 years. He was followed by R Nkosi, SD Mafama and TJ Mhlanjane, who had each served between 42 and 43 years.

MMC Lemao described the veterans as “unsung heroes” and said he wondered where the City would be without them.

“The legacy you leave behind inspires us all to such greatness,” he said. “The [positive things] you have done and continue to do far outweigh the negative perceptions some have of you,” he said.

Councillor Oupa Tolo, the Chairperson of Public Safety Committee, said public safety work was not an easy job.

“Forty years or more in one job is no child’s play. Such long service amounts to a lifetime,” he said.

 

Among the dignitaries present were Public Safety Head Hlula Msimang, JMPD Chief Banzi Nyanda and Discovery Group representative Khethang Malefane. The ceremony also saw the introduction of 18 new EMS recruits.