GOOD Statement by Jonathan Cupido,
GOOD City of Cape Town Councillor
17 November 2025
The recent case of a female Metro Police officer forced to hitchhike home in full uniform, in the middle of the night, while experiencing a heavy menstrual cycle and without her service firearm, is not only a policy failure; it is a disgrace. No officer should ever be left vulnerable, unarmed, and unsupported by the City she serves.
This was not an off-duty staff member going home unseen. She was still in uniform, representing the City, yet she was abandoned by a system that denied her transport support simply because she lives outside municipal boundaries. This policy, enacted under Head Office Instruction 03/2022, endangers lives, compromises public safety, and exposes both staff and the City to unacceptable risk.
What if she had been attacked? What if her uniform had been stolen and used to commit a violent crime? These are not far-fetched scenarios. There are real dangers the City appears unwilling to confront.
GOOD calls for the immediate suspension and review of this travel-restriction policy, with urgent amendments to guarantee safe and dignified transport for all safety personnel, whether on duty or off, inside or outside City limits. No person wearing that uniform should ever again be left standing alone on the roadside.
GOOD is currently reviewing City of Cape Town policies and will be submitting a motion to Council to consider amendments that include:
- Personal Protective Equipment and Training for Off-Duty Situations
- Enhanced Staff Threat Assessments and Relocation Support
- Intergovernmental Agreements for Cross-Boundary Assistance
- Inclusion of Off-Duty Incidents as Workplace Incidents
- Strengthened Intelligence and Early-Warning Systems
GOOD further commits to ongoing monitoring and calls on the City of Cape Town to explain the silence of the Civilian Oversight Committee (CIVOC) and to account for how such a serious matter escaped its attention.
Accountability must begin with the political leadership that allowed this policy to outweigh basic staff welfare and public safety.
Media Enquiries: media@forgood.org.za