Only 73 of the 148 buildings occupied by police in North West are regarded as being in a good condition — to support the various functions of the SAPS.
And it's not only state-owned properties that are not fit for purpose for the police, says the DA.
Of the 64 leased properties in the province, for which the police service pays R54m a year on rentals, 35 of those buildings are substandard.
Of the 84 state-owned buildings, 40 were in a poor state.
This was revealed by North West community safety and transport MEC Sello Lehari, in a tabled response to a question posed by the DA during a meeting of the portfolio committee on community safety this week.
DA North West spokesperson on community safety and transport management Freddy Sonakile said this revelation comes at a time when the province is experiencing a substantial rise in violent crime.
He said provincial crime statistics for the first quarter of 2022 showed a marked increase in murder, sexual assault and assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Sonakile said the Tlhabane police station is one of the leased properties in a deplorable state, yet the rental costs the police service R192,366 per month.
Millions spent on renting 'rundown police stations' in North West: DA
Image: Elvis Ntombela
Only 73 of the 148 buildings occupied by police in North West are regarded as being in a good condition — to support the various functions of the SAPS.
And it's not only state-owned properties that are not fit for purpose for the police, says the DA.
Of the 64 leased properties in the province, for which the police service pays R54m a year on rentals, 35 of those buildings are substandard.
Of the 84 state-owned buildings, 40 were in a poor state.
This was revealed by North West community safety and transport MEC Sello Lehari, in a tabled response to a question posed by the DA during a meeting of the portfolio committee on community safety this week.
DA North West spokesperson on community safety and transport management Freddy Sonakile said this revelation comes at a time when the province is experiencing a substantial rise in violent crime.
He said provincial crime statistics for the first quarter of 2022 showed a marked increase in murder, sexual assault and assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Sonakile said the Tlhabane police station is one of the leased properties in a deplorable state, yet the rental costs the police service R192,366 per month.
Ga-Rankuwa police station fighting crime in the dark for 10 months
“The police will never win the fight against crime in North West if they do not have the necessary resources to support their efforts, like adequate buildings, access to operational vehicles, and sufficient staffing,” Sonakile said.
Sonakile said the DA will engage North West police commissioner Lt-Gen Sello Kwena, police minister Bheki Cele and the public works department to urgently review the lease of dilapidated properties, as well as bring urgent maintenance to rundown state-owned properties.
“The DA will continue to apply pressure on the police ministry to ensure the safety and security of residents and that the police officers are fully capacitated and stationed within functional and well-maintained offices.”
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