KwaZulu-Natal community policing groups say the addition of new mobile police stations, purchased despite ongoing fiscal constraints, leaves them optimistic about expanded coverage in the future.
The KZN department of community safety and liaison has purchased four new mobile police stations to help crime-fighting efforts in different parts of the province.
Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, who also serves as the MEC for community safety and liaison, handed over the new vehicles at the public works offices in Mayville on Tuesday.
Ntuli said strengthening the South African Police Service's operational capacity, especially in communities that remain vulnerable to violent crime and under-resourced policing, remained the cornerstone of government crime-fighting intervention.
“Our goal is clear: to take policing to where it is most needed. These mobile stations will increase visibility, reduce response times, and most importantly, build public confidence in our law enforcement agencies.”
Despite presiding over the provincial government plagued with budget cuts , Ntuli believes that the “state-of-the-art” vehicles are a worthy investment.
“The KZN department of community safety and liaison has invested over R6.8m in this initiative, with each mobile unit valued at over R1.7m. They will be deployed strategically to identified hotspots, including Bulwer, KwaMakhutha, Inanda and KwaMbonambi — areas that have experienced unacceptably high levels of crime, including robbery, hijackings, rape and murder,” he said.
“These are not just vehicles — they are mobile service points, fully equipped with advanced communications technology, holding facilities and other critical resources necessary for responsive, community-based policing.”
Conveying SAPS’s gratitude, the deputy provincial commissioner responsible for visible policing Maj-Gen Phumelele Makhoba said they weighed the demands of the station against their available resources to determine the areas to distribute the mobile station.
He said studies were conducted and facilities were approved for some stations, but because of financial constraints they had not materialised. “Because of what we have done here today, the communities will finally receive the resources they requested.”
Provincial CPF chairperson Mabutho Mtshali told TimesLIVE Premium they had been talking to Ntuli and the provincial SAPS about the distance people had to travel to reach their respective stations to report cases.
“People would see crime happening but may be too lazy to go all the way to report. so this will make it easier to fight crime. We believe that this will reduce crime and the police will be able to respond more effectively.”
Mtshali also applauded the balance of the distribution of the resources between urban and rural areas.
“Rural areas are where we’re really short of police stations and people have to walk long distances, but also the nature of crimes happening in the urban spaces makes them hard to ignore,” he said.
“This is not the first or last support we get from the premier’s office and because of that we are certain that when finances allow, we will get more satellite stations in more rural areas so that all communities are accommodated.”
The same optimism was shared by eThekwini Neighbourhood Watch chairperson Andile Jali.
“This shows that they listen to our concerns as community structures who really feel the pressure of crime since we’re on the ground, working with the police. So they are serious about meeting the community halfway,” he said.
He said he believes a mobile station will be situated in Bhambayi, where gender-based violence is prevalent.
He further commended having two of the mobile stations in eThekwini.
“Crime statistics always show that eThekwini is the crime epicentre and prioritising it reduces the crime rate in the whole of the province.
“We’re very happy that Inanda has been chosen because its demarcation is large. There are people from areas like eMaphephetheni who end up reporting in Camperdown because it is closer to them than Inanda station. So this will make a huge difference and we hope it’s just the start.”
Jali believes community safety is important and beefing up policing efforts should be the priority of the budget.
Ntuli added that this latest intervention represents a commitment he made when he took the community safety portfolio to provide concrete support to the police and to invest in the infrastructure.
“This intervention also complements the national SAPS recruitment drive, which has resulted in the training of 5,500 new police trainees for the 2025 financial year. It is a timely alignment of infrastructure and personnel aimed at achieving real, measurable affect in the fight against crime.
“But let me be clear: policing alone cannot defeat crime. This remains a shared responsibility. Traditional leaders, civil society, community policing forums, faith-based organisations, and residents all have a vital role to play.”
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