Theft of state property and decay at SAPS elite unit give rise to concern
15 March 2024
Neglect of police infrastructure that is even worse than what has recently come to light at the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Head Office in Pretoria, has come to Solidarity’s attention.
Among the many complaints are those about the dreadful state of the offices of the National Intervention Unit (NIU) in Bon Accord in Pretoria. The buildings have deteriorated even further since Solidarity’s official correspondence about the matter directed to the SAPS top management in 2021.
Unlike the Head Office at Telkom Towers, which was declared unfit for human use the week before last and had to be evacuated, the NIU’s offices, however, are not used for administrative purposes only.
The dilapidated boundary fence and wall enclose uncompleted, looted and neglected buildings which are used to store firearms, including high calibre semi-automatic firearms, as well as ammunition, bulletproof vests and vehicles.
Theft is a common occurrence here. There is an informal settlement on the adjacent state-owned land and the settlement has grown at a rapid pace, posing a serious threat to the security of the police premises.
Renate Pieterse, network coordinator for the public sector at Solidarity, says an investigation into the serious security risks and the general decay at the NIU, and steps to be taken by SAPS top management is now urgently needed.
“The place is dilapidated – now even worse than when we first brought it to the attention of the SAPS top management in writing back in 2021. The NIU is an elite police unit whose highly trained members must be able to handle extremely stressful situations such as hostage dramas and kidnappings,” Pieterse said.
“However, some offices and living quarters look like plundered ruins. Thers is no supply of clean drinking water and during our previous visit water had to be bucketed out from rubbish bins, while power cables had been stolen. Windowpanes were shattered, doors were broken off their hinges and the bathrooms were in a shocking state.”
Pieterse says the current state of affairs is even worse – a statement she can back up by photos.
Solidarity’s Occupational Health and Safety department had its job cut out during the past weeks to deal with complaints of decay at more police stations.
Johan Böning, head of Solidarity’s OH&S department, says the state in which the important NIU finds itself in, shows that the SAPS is unable to even protect its own premises.
“How can the public then have confidence in them and believe that they are competent to protect the communities in South Africa? It also shows that police management is not taking any steps to prevent the total decay at national offices, police stations and units. The health and safety of police employees are seriously jeopardised morale is being destroyed by police management that seemingly does not care.
“The extent of the decay is absolutely shocking and so it is that loyal taxpayers will increasingly pay a high price for apparent incompetence,” Böning said.
Issued by Johan Böning, Head: Occupational Health and Safety Division, Solidarity, 15 March 2024
