by Delmaine Christians MP – Constituency Head of Idwala ![]() Date: 22 September 2020Release: Immediate Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English & Afrikaans from Delmaine Christians, MP. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is calling on the recently appointed MEC of Transport, Safety and Liaison Nomandla Bloem, to urgently prioritise the allocation of an official South African Police Services (SAPS) vehicle to the Delportshoop police station.DA councillor for this constituency, Milly Kleinjan, yesterday visited the station to enquire about the slow response to callouts. This, after I received complaints from residents in Longlands, that it has become the norm to wait for police officials to arrive and respond to community complaints.Following a previous oversight inspection by the DA to the station in October last year, it was revealed that the station had been operating without a vehicle to combat crime and respond to community complaints. Last week, a vehicle from Kimberley SAPS office was eventually loaned to the Delporthoop station but it was involved in an accident on the very same day and written off. In effect, police officials have had to bend over backwards to try and fight crime with the little to no available resources at their disposal.An official at the station indicated that they have to prioritise their callouts and only attend to the most serious incidents. Officials on duty also have to make use of personal unmarked vehicles to try and perform their duties.This gives criminal elements the advantage of monitoring the movement of the single police vehicle, when it is operational. The surrounding 200 farms and towns in this area also remain vulnerable to burglaries.The DA previously reported our concerns relating to this station in writing to then MEC of Safety, Nontobeko Vilakazi, requesting her to urgently address the shortage of police vehicles in the province. We never received a response.As the lockdown has been lifted to level one, residents have seen an increase in criminal activity in the Delportshoop, Longlands and Koopmansfontein area and feel vulnerable as they do not have the necessary protection. Our police stations need to be equipped with operational and marked police vehicles without which they are left handicapped and unable to fulfil their mandate. Media Enquiries Delmaine Christians MPConstituency Head of Idwala084 503 9574 Chrystal FrancisResearcher079 2260 991 |
