Note to Editors: Please find attached a soundbite by Retief Odendaal MPL
The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s oversight efforts have delivered an important breakthrough following the discovery of the appalling conditions at the Algoa Park police barracks in Gqeberha.
After conducting an oversight inspection of the barracks on 3 June alongside DA Eastern Cape Provincial Leader Andrew Whitfield MP and DA Eastern Cape Provincial Chairperson Yusuf Cassim MP, I wrote to the DA Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson requesting urgent intervention.
The inspection revealed buildings that are unfit for human habitation, with collapsing infrastructure, piles of waste, poor security and unsanitary living conditions that undermine the wellbeing of South African Police Service (SAPS) members.
In a response received on 8 July, Minister Macpherson has confirmed that he has instructed his Department’s Regional Office to dispatch a task team to inspect the barracks and submit a report to his office within 10 business days. Once the assessment has been completed, the Minister has committed to providing the findings together with an agreed action plan.
This decisive response by a DA-led department in National Government is an important first step towards restoring safe and dignified accommodation for the police officers who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. Police officers cannot be expected to combat crime effectively while living in conditions that pose a risk to their health, safety, and morale.
I have yet to receive a reply to my letter sent to the Acting Minister of Police as to what action his department will take.
Because although the DPWI is the custodian of public properties such as police stations, the ongoing maintenance, cleaning, and day-to-day hygiene remain the responsibility of the SAPS, the client department.
The DA will continue to monitor the implementation of Minister Macpherson’s commitment and engage with both the DPWI and the SAPS to ensure that the assessment results in urgent cleaning, critical repairs, improved security and a sustainable maintenance programme.
A DA government in Nelson Mandela Bay will take a zero-tolerance approach to derelict buildings by restoring the effectiveness of the Problem Buildings Task Team, strengthening by-law enforcement, and establishing a dedicated Metro Police Problem Buildings Unit to work alongside the SAPS and municipal officials.
Frequent inspections and coordinated enforcement operations will ensure that neglected properties are reclaimed and that both private owners and government departments are held to the same standard of accountability.
By fixing neglected infrastructure, supporting our law enforcement officers, and restoring accountability, the DA will build a safer, cleaner, and better-managed city to get Nelson Mandela Bay working again.