Mariannhill community leaders on Monday walked out of a SAPS public participation meeting, demanding answers on the status of a promised new police station.
Image: Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers
Angry Mariannhill community leaders on Monday walked out of what should have been a SAPS public participation process, saying they could not be part of the process years after failed promises of a permanent police station in the area.
The public participation process, which is in line with the draft Equality Court Order and the follow-up court order dated April 3, 2023, involves discussions with community members on how they want to be policed, and the number of police officers they think are enough for a police station that serves their area.
In 2024, then Police Minister Bheki Cele had promised a permanent police station would be built in the not-so-distant future, saying land had been procured from the municipality and there was a budget from the SAPS.
Community leaders, including Pearl Mkhize, demanded feedback on the status of the promised station, insisting they would not allow the scheduled participation process to proceed until the “primary issue” was addressed.
Ward 13 councillor Reginald Cloete said if the SAPS did not respond to the police station upgrade, they would leave the meeting.
“In our meetings, all the meetings that we attended, it was said that the money to build the police station is available. The only thing that was a problem was the pocket of land where the police station will be built. Now that we have the pocket of land, nobody is saying anything about the upgrade of the police station,” Cloete said.
Brigadier Jack Mushi and Brigadier Sydney Ngele address angry Mariannhill community leaders during the SAPS public participation meeting.
Image: Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers
Mariannhill community police forum chairperson Dawood Chirwa said the people had spoken.
“We cannot sit here and still deliberate on the same issue over and over again. We need this police station to be upgraded, and we are affected by crime,” Chirwa said.
SAPS section head of visible policing and operations Brigadier Sydney Ngele appealed for calm, said they do not have the answers but would escalate the demands.
Community leader Diana Hoorzuk expressed anger, citing the police station’s under-resourced nature and the high crime rate.
“We are not requesting a police station now...we are demanding that the Mariannhill police station be built,” Ward 16 councillor Bongani Ngubane said.
A public participation process, scheduled after a draft Equality Court Order, collapsed when angry Mariannhill community members walked out, citing years of unfulfilled promises on the construction of a new, upgraded police station.
Image: Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers
KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda acknowledged the community's concerns.
“We’re not here for a building, but it’s a resource that is critical. Apart from (more) members, officers on the ground, apart from vehicles, they first want (a permanent) police station,” Netshiunda said.
“It’s another department that kicks off the process of building a police station. So, that will need inter-departmental engagements to find the current status of where the process is,” Netshiunda said.
He added that they will do their best to reschedule the meeting, pending the community's willingness.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za