South African police commissioners have notably enjoyed the odd perk here and there when it comes to matters of their private lives. It has emerged that Gauteng police commissioner, Mzwandile Petros, is no exception to this common occurrence and has a new two year lease costing R30 000 a month.

There is a saying in Jozi that goes a little something like this: “If you want to drive on decent roads, you better make sure you live near someone who works for the government.”

The Star newspaper has reported that the department of public works has signed the lease even though the state owns about 780 houses in Gauteng alone.

A Bryanston property in particular, which was previously occupied by Mzwandile Kibi, deputy director-general of the department of infrastructure development, “appears to have all the features to accommodate Petros,” said The Star.

And his needs were few granted his position as a police commissioner: the housing tender, issued in March, called for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in or around Rosebank, Melrose, Oaklands, Dunkeld, Killarney, Morningside, Houghton, Illovo or Saxonwold.

A “solid perimeter wall with a minimum height of two metres,” with electric fencing and secure electronic access control was also requested.

Petros was appointed in September 2010 and it has been reported that the state provided him with housing because he did not apply for the position, but was transferred from his previous position as Western Cape provincial commissioner.

OK. On that note, one better not forget that the provincial government owns 826 state houses across six regions, but only 46 tenants reportedly have signed lease agreements.

That was something infrastructure development minister Bheki Nkosi promised to look into back in February.

[Source: Mail&Guardian]