No new police stations for Gauteng

23 January 2017

No new permanent or satellite police stations will be built in Gauteng this year, despite the dire need for additional resources to curb the provinces high rates of crime.

In a written reply to the DA’s Derrick America MP, the Minister of Police, Nkosinathi Nhleko, revealed that no funds have been made available for the establishment of new stations in the 2016/17 financial year.

In Gauteng there are 473 incidents of contact crimes such as murder, attempted murder, assault and robbery a day. Coupled to this, at least 11 people are murdered in the province each day.

In the municipalities that the DA governs, specialised units within the Metro police departments have been formed to tackle crime head-on. However, the lack of resources provided to the overburdened SAPS is a clear indication that the ANC is not serious about keeping residents of the province safe.

SAPS members cannot be expected to perform optimally when they work in overcrowded stations. It is equally as difficult for residents to receive lifesaving services from SAPS when stations are overcrowded and far from their places of residence.

The DA will continue to demand that more stations are established across the province to ensure all residents are afforded the safety and protection they deserve.

Issued by Kate Lorimer, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety, 23 January 2017