IN PICS | Carletonville police station abandoned for two decades - now home to illegal occupants

An abandoned police station in Carletonville, Gauteng, left to decay for nearly two decades, has become a crime hotspot and a symbol of government failure, residents say.

Public works and infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson on Friday described the state of the facility as “shocking” during an oversight visit to the site, which has been vandalised and illegally occupied.

“It is unacceptable that something like this can exist after 20 years of nothingness,” he said.

The station was closed in the mid-2000s after a suspected sinkhole compromised the structure. Since then, it has not been repaired or reopened.

What remains is a stripped building; no doors, no windows, cracked walls and overgrown grass, surrounded by at least seven state-owned properties, many of which are now illegally occupied.

Some of the houses stood open during the visit, with furniture inside and baby clothes hanging outside, indicating people are living there despite the deteriorating conditions.

Among them is Bongani Buthelezi, who has lived on the property for nine years.

He said he was moved from Khutsong after his home was damaged by a sinkhole. The municipality placed six families in the state-owned houses as a temporary measure while alternative housing was arranged.

“That relocation never materialised. We were told we would be moved to formal houses, but that never happened. Instead they wanted to move us to small RDP houses that would not accommodate our furniture,” he said.

Buthelezi said they do not pay rent and have no formal access to electricity. He was shocked to hear during the visit that occupants may be required to leave.

“Where are we supposed to go? The municipality brought us here”, he said, adding that a similar instruction to vacate was issued about four years ago, but no follow-up was made.

The abandoned station has had a direct impact on policing in the area.

Carletonville’s current police station does not have holding cells, forcing officers to transport suspects to neighbouring towns, which delays investigations and places a strain on resources.

Eugene Potgieter, the former head of detectives, said this has contributed to rising petty crime. “How do you fight crime without holding cells?” he said.

Carl Steenkamp, a ward councilor, said the abandoned site has become a hub for illegal activity. “There are vagrants here, drugs being sold here. It is affecting crime in the community”.

Abie Malefo, a community activist, said the area has become dangerous.

“This place has turned into a hotspot for violent crime. People are not safe passing here at night,” he said.

Macpherson said the illegal occupation of the site, including reports of people renting out state-owned properties, would be addressed.

“The real problem is those who hijack buildings and rent them out,” he said.

He confirmed that eviction processes would begin but said they would follow legal procedures.

The minister also raised concerns about possible involvement of departmental officials in the illegal activities, saying a report naming those implicated would be submitted.

“If there is merit, they will be suspended and criminally charged.”

Macpherson said he had requested a full report outlining how the situation was allowed to persist for so long. “I want a clear timeline of events. We need to understand how we got here.”

The department is currently dealing with 384 hijacked properties across the country.

Residents, however, say the impact in Carletonville has been severe.

Mathews Kerileng, a community member, said government has spent years renting an alternative police facility about 15km away.

“That money could have been used to build a proper station,” he said.

While the department said it would engage the SAPS on rebuilding or relocating the station, no clear timeline has been given.

For residents like Buthelezi, the uncertainty remains immediate. “We are being told to leave, but no one is telling us where to go.”

For the broader community, the demand is simple, a functioning police station.

“We have waited more than 20 years; we just want this place to work again.”

TimesLIVE