Police station upgrade scrapped

Public outcry leads to U-turn and redirection of funds

THE R100 MILLION upgrade of the Muizenberg police station has been scrapped. Deputy Minister of Police Bongani Mkongi made the announcement at a meeting with residents of Khayelitsha where he also said that the money would instead be used to build a new police station in Makhaza, Khayelitsha.

The announcement came after a public outcry and protests by activists and residents of Khayelitsha and Nyanga, as well as the DA ward councillor from Muizenberg after the Cape Argus exposed plans to renovate and extend the Muizenberg police station at a cost of R100m.

Mkongi said he became aware of the issue after reading about it in newspapers.

“After learning about it I called comrade Ndithini (Tyhido), and I said to him this is rubbish that is happening in his province and you must write a statement as a community against that thing.

“The palace police station project is going to be halted. It’s not going to happen. We are redirecting the resources to build a police station in Makhaza. We are redirecting other resources to build a police station in Nyanga and in Samora”.

He said building police stations and infrastructure was at the centre of radical socio-economic transformation.

Provincial commissioner of police Khombinkosi Jula said there were specific stations that were highly problematic and gave the province a bad name.

“I will support every initiative to ensure that resources are made available in the communities which are most in need,” said Jula.

Khayelitsha Development Forum chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said they were happy a new police station would be built in Makhaza. He said it was good that Mkongi made such a commitment and gave time frames.

“It is critical that the relationship between the police and the community doesn’t break, and this will help that relationship,” said Tyhido.

‘CERTAIN STATIONS ARE HIGHLY PROBLEMATIC AND GIVE THE PROVINCE A BAD NAME’

Social Justice Coalition’s Phumeza Mlungwana said the station extension had been halted due to its coverage in the media. However, she added that it was a good thing it would not go ahead.

“We welcome this decision, it is giving the community hope,” she said.

Mlungwana said that in future the police would look more carefully at how their resources were allocated.