Who’s behind SAPS snafu?

ON November 10 I was asked to attend a meeting at Wynberg SAPS by the newly appointed cluster commander, General Peter Jacobs.

The councillors from the Far South, as well as various CPF representatives, were also invited. General Jacobs said it was a “get to know you” meeting.

Almost immediately, he indicated that he needed our support for the proposed new SAPS station in the Muizenberg area.

We were delighted that after all these years, something was going to be done about this long-standing issue.

General Jacobs wanted the councillors to “sell” the project to the community.

He produced a full-colour, glossy brochure which none of us had seen before, and informed us that the project was on the Uamp list (the annual build and renovation list required by every government department for budget spend purposes). We had not seen this list.

To our surprise, the intention was to not only to renovate the dilapidated existing station on the mountainside, but to extend the station, as outlined in the detailed brochure (including designs and layouts), where a grandiose set of buildings – two completely new, as well as underground garaging – were added. The projected cost was R100 million. I immediately did a calculation based on the design area in square meters and informed General Jacobs that this would be classified as prime A grade space in the commercial market.

The civil engineering alone for the one structure would be astronomical as a huge platform would have to be cut out of a 1:6 mountain slope.

The concept was rejected by those present as it ignored the frequently requested building of a new station at Vrygrond, where most of the contact crime in the precinct occurs.

General Jacobs threatened that if we did not support the proposal, the money would be lost “forever”. The questions now need to be asked: Why was the existing station, located in an historic old school, not renovated years ago, at minimal cost, when the cells were condemned? The building is a fire hazard. Let’s remember that dedicated police officers have to work in these facilities under these conditions.

What is the rationale behind this monstrosity and who motivated and approved it at Public Works and SAPS? Why were the local CPF or councillors not informed about this proposal beforehand?

How does one justify spending so much money on an unwanted facility when, in the same cluster, Ocean View SAPS are still in small, prefabricated buildings after over two decades?

This station now functions in crisis mode despite being a designated “gang” station as a result of a massive rise in killings over the last two years and an explosion in the precinct population.

One wonders who is benefiting from this absurd proposal – and how? MARK WILEY, MPP Constituency Head for the Far South