ANC loots electricity for its birthday celebrations – mayor of Kgatelopele must pay up
| by Dr Isak Fritz, MPL – DA Northern Cape Constituency Head of Namaqua |
| Date: 07 July 2020 |
| Release: Immediate |
| Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English & Afrikaans from Dr Isak Fritz, MPL.The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is calling on the Department of Public Works in conjunction with the Nama Khoi municipality, to step in and effect the long overdue repairs required at the Kommagas police station in Namaqualand.An oversight inspection to the facility last week, revealed that the police station does not inspire confidence as a safe hub and is in urgent need of repairs and upgrades in order for it to be able to continue serving the local community, especially victims of gender- based violence (GBV).The exterior paints a dismal picture, with paint peeling of the walls, while the interior is marked by broken ceiling boards and broken floor tiles (see pics here and here). The facility also has no accessibility for people with disabilities as there is no ramp and no rails alongside the stairs.The property is not secure, and the thin fence around the facility is made up of more man-sized holes than actual fencing (see pic here). There are also no gates attached to the fence, only two gaping openings where vehicles drive through. In spite of the pitiful state of the fence, there is zero access control. There are also no burglar bars on the windows of the main building. This is worrisome, given that there are times when a single female police officer mans the station.Lighting of the facility, particularly of the holding cells, is inadequate, requiring an upgrade to the electricity supply. While the station does have a generator, it has not worked since it was delivered at the facility and has also never been connected to the station’s power supply.The cells are further not fit to hold detainees, with the cell doors not shutting completely. There is also no hot water and while replacement geysers have been procured by the Nama Khoi municipality, they have yet to be installed. Part of the roof of the toilet and washing facilities is also exposed to the elements and covered with only a thick mesh wire (see pic here). The windows of the ladies’ toilet, amongst others, is broken (see pic here). Given the lack of access control, cell windows are also easily accessible to the public, from the street, posing an additional risk (see pic here).In addition to the main facility, the station is also made up of four park homes, two for administrative purposes, one for detectives and one that is used a victim friendly room. The park homes are placed directly next to the septic tanks, making working conditions unbearable, given that the tanks are not regularly drained.Meanwhile, the victim friendly room cannot be used as it has no suitable furniture. In effect, people who have endured violent crimes like rape and child abuse, have to lay charges in the main station, leaving them with little privacy and comfort. At a time when we are fighting a war against GBV, this is unacceptable.The DA finds the situation intolerable.A string of letters has been sent to Nama Khoi municipality as well as the Department of Roads and Public Works, with a growing number of empty promises. A number of MEC’s have also visited the facility, making additional commitments that have not been met to date.We cannot continue along this path. Safety of Northern Cape citizens is a very real concern and requires government to work together, not in silos, to solve problems such as those experienced at Kommagas.The DA will write to MEC of Roads and Public Works, Fufe Makatong, the MEC of COGHSTA, Bentley Vass, and the MEC of Transport, Safety and Liaison, Nomandla Bloem, to request an intervention and ask that they jointly take this matter to the National Department of Roads and Public Works, which is responsible for maintaining police stations.We need to stop the ongoing decay and rot of police stations and other service centres that are utilised by the public, else our people will be left with nothing. |
| Media Enquiries |
| Dr Isak Fritz, MPLDA Northern Cape Constituency Head of Namaqua083 395 2737 Shelley de WittResearcher0828471387 |
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