Police stations across the Western Cape are allegedly in arrears of their utility accounts to a value of R1,7 million.
According to a statement from the Department of Community Safety, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure pays municipal services on behalf of client departments, such as SAPS.
Department spokesperson, Reagen Allen said they would have expected the national department, under Minister Patricia De Lille to raise this concern with the national SAPS authority guided by Minister Bheki Cele.
“We must establish the level of operational functionality of stations as this may impact negatively on already underperforming stations, “Allen said.
It is alleged that police stations across the country are in arrears to the value of R24.4 million.
“For this reason, I will write to the provincial Minister of Community Safety, Albert Fritz, regarding a report on the level of operational stability of finances and service delivery resources of each police station.”
Allen said the Kuilsriver station’s Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offence’s Unit had to be closed following the lapse of sanitation services at the station due to non-payment of municipal services.
“Within any working environment, it is critical to maintain consistency in the level supply of resources and the provision of maintenance services to remain operational.”
The lack of buccal testing agents across South Africa has also resulted in a massive DNA backlog and halting of the criminal justice system.
Allen said, more than a thousand SAPS vehicles are currently not servicing communities in the Western Cape which also poses a threat to the service delivery in the form of visible policing.
“The way in which resources are managed in the Western Cape from a national level is deeply concerning as the province remains one of the worst affected when it comes to crime,”
He said as part of their oversight role at provincial parliament, they will establish the cause in the delay of payment or non-payment.
Picture: Cape Town ETC gallery