“Lasindwa is arguing the community of KwaThema to stand in solidarity with the men in uniform and themselves and demand a new police station because that station has been declared unsafe by the Department of Labour many years ago”
By Mamello Maila
Three years after the police officers and residents raised concerns about the state of KwaThema Police Station, nothing has changed the situation.
The offices were confirmed unsafe, with the ceiling falling off, the roof leaking, rain water damaging important documents and electrical faults. Bathrooms are not functional and officers are forced to use their neighbours or rather go home to relieve themselves. Some of the abandoned buildings within the station are now used by homeless people.
The police station also doesn’t have holding cells. Officers have to move their offices to the state vehicle after they were given indemnity forms to sign in order to use their offices.
In November 2018, residents picketed outside the police station, threatening that they will not stop until top SAPS and government officials addressed promises to build a new facility. In an interview with Lindiwe Lisindwa, chairperson of infrastructure of legislature, she explained that she has taken upon herself to get to the bottom of the problem.
Lasindwa explained that in September the same year, she had a meeting with the SAPS provincial office, Department of Public Works and Ekurhuleni metro. “We discovered that SAPS has been leasing the building from the metro since 1966.
“A part of the delay is caused by the fact that no one wants to own up. The metro says that the building is the responsibility of SAPS, while SAPS says they can’t maintain a building they don’t own, on the other hand, the Department of Public Works says they can’t commit until SAPS requests the land officially from the metro,” she explains.
Ward 74 councillor Thulani Simelane says during the first meeting with all stakeholders, it was promised that that 30 temporary mobile offices will be allocated to accommodate the officers, until a resolution is reached.
“To date, only a handful have been delivered and are used to accommodate only the detectives and store dockets.
Lasindwa is arguing the community of KwaThema to stand in solidarity with the men in uniform and themselves demand a new police station because that station has been declared unsafe by the Department of Labour many years ago.
“We cannot be in 26 years of democracy and still have to fight for services,” she says.
