DA hits back over R100m police station upgrade

DEPUTY Police Minister Bongani Mkongi has accused the DA of commissioning the R100-million upgrade of a police station in a suburb where crime levels are relatively low.

This follows a widespread outcry against the proposed upgrade of the Muizenberg police station.

While the Department of Public Works indicated that police had requested the upgrade‚ Mkongi insisted that the DA was behind it.

“Politically‚ the DA signed for this ‘hotel’ in Muizenberg,” he said.

Western Cape Community Safety MEC Dan Plato denied the allegation.

“I don’t want to enter into the political fray‚ but these allegations are ridiculous,” he said. “The fact of the matter is that both the DA and ANC people are against construction of that police station.

“The ANC needs to open its eyes and see that this macro station to a tune of R100-million is not right‚ especially when they are the ones advocating to bring services to poor communities.

“We need to work on allocating these funds where they are needed most and just take politics completely out of it.

“[The ANC] is trying to make the decision to build the station a political one.

“We have no say over the building of any station whatsoever. We don’t even get to comment on the building of stations.”