JMPD AND EMS FAIL IN LONEHILL TRAGEDY

20 September 2011

After an in depth investigation by the DA Shadow Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety Cllr Mervyn Cirota into the circumstances surrounding the events leading to the serious injuries suffered by Kim Mcusker in Lonehill, it has been determined that both the officials of JMPD who attended the scene where the taxi  was eventually forced to stop and officials at  the EMS Call Centre failed to carry out their duties effectively or at all and may well have committed  criminal offenses including that of defeating the ends of justice.

It has been alleged that  the two JMPD officials who arrived at the scene of the carnage were very eager to give legal advice to the driver of the taxi who dragged the body of Kim Mcusker for 700m causing her extensive bodily injuries but failed to show any concern for Mcusker and more particularly and most disturbing,is that they failed to secure the scene of either where the initial collision occurred or where the taxi came to rest after dragging Mcusker, and left the scene without taking any statements,thus compromising the accident scenes and nullifying further forensic investigation.

The JMPD officials showed little or no knowledge of how to deal with the circumstances presented to them. I am further informed that JMPD have to date taken no steps to initiate and conduct an investigation.

It is reported that when EMS was telephoned in order to arrange an ambulance to transport Mcusker to hospital the call was disconnected before being answered and were it not for the fact that Mcusker badly injured body came to rest close to the Lonehill Fire station who dispatched an ambulance, Mcusker may well have died on the scene.

Cllr Cirota has just last week reported on the lack of capacitation in both JMPD and EMS and the manner in which this tragedy was handled confirms the chaos within JMPD and EMS. 

The DA in Johannesburg now calls upon the Mayot of JHB Cllr Tau and  the MMC for Safety Cllr Mfikoe to launch an urgent investigation into not only the Mcusker incident but into the lack of capacitation ,performance and professionalism of JPMD and EMS as a whole.

The citizens of Johannesburg expect no less.

Statement issued by Cllr Mervyn Cirota, DA Shadow Member of the Mayoral Committee for Public Safety, City of Johannesburg, September 20 2011 

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