ActionSA Celebrates Approval of Motion to Release Land for a Functional Police Station in KwaThema
Dereleen James MP and Cllr Phillip Dolo
ActionSA Member of Parliament and ActionSA Ekurhuleni Councillor
ActionSA welcomes the passing of the motion in the Ekurhuleni Council to release municipal land for the urgent development of the KwaThema Police Station. We believe this is a crucial step towards ensuring that residents have access to a fully functional police station, equipped to combat crime effectively.
This also bears testament to what can be achieved when there is intergovernmental cooperation between respective spheres and tiers of government that puts the people’s interests of the state’s agenda.
The motion follows ActionSA’s oversight of the existing police station, which was found to be in a state of severe disrepair and entirely incapable of performing its basic functions. During the oversight, it was discovered that 18 detectives were operating from a single office, with broken windows in both the charge office and the administration offices. Additionally, the holding cells had been shut down. Shockingly, only one vehicle was reported to be servicing an entire community with an estimated population of over one hundred thousand.
The community of KwaThema has been without a proper police station since it was declared unfit for human habitation by the South African Human Rights Commission 14 years ago, with the current state of the police station severely compromising service delivery. According to a SAPS report, high levels of crime are worsening in the KwaThema community, primarily due to the police’s inability to respond to reported cases. This has created conditions of lawlessness and contributed to an increase in criminal offences within the community and surrounding areas.
ActionSA’s support for this motion was informed by the important step it marks towards restoring law enforcement capacity in KwaThema as this initiative is critical not only for ensuring that residents have access to justice but also for reinforcing the essential role police stations play as the cornerstone of community safety and security.
ActionSA Celebrates Approval of Motion to Release Land for a Functional Police Station in KwaThema
ActionSA welcomes the passing of the motion in the Ekurhuleni Council to release municipal land for the urgent development of the KwaThema Police Station. We believe this is a crucial step towards ensuring that residents have access to a fully functional police station, equipped to combat crime effectively.
This also bears testament to what can be achieved when there is intergovernmental cooperation between respective spheres and tiers of government that puts the people’s interests of the state’s agenda.
The motion follows ActionSA’s oversight of the existing police station, which was found to be in a state of severe disrepair and entirely incapable of performing its basic functions. During the oversight, it was discovered that 18 detectives were operating from a single office, with broken windows in both the charge office and the administration offices. Additionally, the holding cells had been shut down. Shockingly, only one vehicle was reported to be servicing an entire community with an estimated population of over one hundred thousand.
The community of KwaThema has been without a proper police station since it was declared unfit for human habitation by the South African Human Rights Commission 14 years ago, with the current state of the police station severely compromising service delivery. According to a SAPS report, high levels of crime are worsening in the KwaThema community, primarily due to the police’s inability to respond to reported cases. This has created conditions of lawlessness and contributed to an increase in criminal offences within the community and surrounding areas.
ActionSA’s support for this motion was informed by the important step it marks towards restoring law enforcement capacity in KwaThema as this initiative is critical not only for ensuring that residents have access to justice but also for reinforcing the essential role police stations play as the cornerstone of community safety and security.