Bheki Cele did not tell us to lock police stations at night: Eastern Cape cops

Police in the Eastern Cape said there was no directive from police minister Bheki Cele that police stations must be closed at night.

Police were responding to a social media post which said a member of the public found the Makhanda police station closed at night.

The poster on Facebook said he went to the police station to report a break-in only to find the gates locked and chained.

"I managed to get in, much to the surprise of the officer on duty, and asked why the police station is closed at night. He told me it was as a result of a directive of the minister that they close the station at night 'because they get robbed so much'," the post read.

Police spokesperson Cpt Mali Govender said the police will investigate the claim that the police station was locked, and action will be taken if the claim is found to be true

"The gates to the police station are supposed to be open at all times because the police service is an essential service. There is also no directive from the minister that the gates must be locked," Govender said.