Note to Editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Crezane Bosch MPL.
Terrible infrastructure conditions, shortage of staff and lack of resources have left Jeppe and Sophiatown Police Stations struggling to operate efficiently to prevent crime and ensure residents’ safety.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) launched its #GautengPoliceWatch 100 days oversight inspections in all 144 police stations in Gauteng today.
We conducted oversight inspections at Jeppe, Sophiatown and Johannesburg Central Police Stations, and we were disappointed to discover the hardships and challenges that police officers at Jeppe and Sophiatown police stations are faced with on a daily basis which hinder them from delivering on their core mandate.
The three police stations are well managed by dedicated police officers, however, Jeppe and Sophiatown are faced with numerous challenges.
The challenges such as lack of police vehicles, lack of proper regular maintenance of sewer infrastructure, shortage of detectives, non-functional landlines, and equipment like search torches and radios are hindering their efforts to combat crime.
Jeppe Police Station caters for 500 000 people in their jurisdiction and is ranked number 5 in terms of kidnapping cases in the country. There are 850 active murder cases at Jeppe Police Station and on average one detective handles 120 dockets due to a shortage of detectives. The workload is unbearable for the detectives, and they are demotivated. The visible policing has been dissolved at this station because there are only two patrol vehicles.
The station does not have a social worker in the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) room and there are no ablution facilities for the victims. Out of 30 cells in the station, only 10 can be used to hold suspects due to sewer leaks, peeling walls and cracks. Please see video here and pictures here and here.
Furthermore, the seven-floored building has no functional lifts as they were removed due to several occasions of lift cable theft. This makes it difficult for staff or residents with disabilities to fully access the building.
The dilapidating infrastructure is one of the critical issues affecting these two stations which has been raised with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure on numerous occasions, but to date, nothing has materialised. See pictures here and here.
These stations cannot continue to function in this manner as it is extremely demotivating for police officers to work under such terrible conditions.
However, Johannesburg Central Police station is an example of what these two police stations should operate.
It is extremely concerning that every financial year, the budget for the Gauteng Department of Community Safety is increased at the same time, crime in the province also increases. It is high time that we interrogate the circumstances leading to the increasing crime statistics and why the budget is not sufficient to curb crime.
The DA will be tabling questions to the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko and the Minister of Infrastructure and Public Works to ascertain why Jeppe Police Station has been neglected without proper regular maintenance and adequate resources.