On Tuesday, 2 April 2019, I did oversight inspections to two police stations in Port Elizabeth and was joined by DA Shadow MEC for Safety and Security, Bobby Stevenson MPL.
Police stations in the Eastern Cape, and the communities they serve, are suffering due to the failing ANC’s inability to keep the lights on at Eskom.
The Kabega Park and Gelvandale Police Stations are seriously affected when loadshedding is implemented in South Africa.
The police station at Kabega Park has no generator and can only make use of an inverter. This, however, only powers the station for about 20 minutes.
When there is no electricity at the Kabega Park Station, there is no light and the telephone and computers systems are not operational.
At the Gelvandale Police Station the generator was not operational over a period of at least 8 months and therefore faced the same problems experienced at Kabega Park. This generator was only repaired this week Monday. Even so it only powers the charge office. This means that the telephone lines cannot be used. (pictures attached)
The Gelvandale Police Station is situated in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth – one of the most crime- and gang-ridden areas in the Eastern Cape. People are being killed on a daily basis.
Recently a 12 year old girl was killed and a 3 year old boy was seriously injured after they were caught in the crossfire between two rival Northern Areas gangs.
It is therefore critically important that the Gelvandale Police Station is fully operational.
In August 2018, in response to questions asked in the Eastern Cape Legislature, it was confirmed that 19 police stations in the province have no generators, whilst the generators at 14 stations are in a state of disrepair.
The National Department of Public Works is tasked with repairing these generators.
It is vital that police stations are fully capacitated to provide essential services and protect the public. The people of the Eastern Cape deserve to live in areas where they feel protected.
The DA will take this issue up in the Eastern Cape Legislature to insist on an intervention by the Provincial Department of Safety and Security and the National Department of Public Works.
A DA government will completely transform the SAPS into an honest and professional service, provide our children communities with a safe environment and build One South Africa for All.