Mfuleni residents are at wit’s end over the operating hours of a local satellite police station, particularly after hours.
They have described the situation as untenable, saying it put their lives at risk. The current situation makes it difficult for residents to get services, they claim and are now appealing to the government to build a permanent station.
According to the government’s demarcation, Mfuleni falls under Blue Downs Police Station and residents have to travel long distances to get services after hours.
Community leader Oyisa Sono said the closure has an impact on the escalating crime in the area.
He said they’have been protesting for the construction of the police station but their plea fell on deaf ears.
“Last year in March, we had an Imbizo with the provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembekile Patekile. We raised the issue of the closing of our satellite police station after hours. They attended to it and the station was operating 24 hours,” explained Sono.
However, five months later, the station closed again after hours, claimed Sono. He said it hurts the community as they have to queue every morning while waiting for the station to open.
“It was around October last year when I heard that the station was closing at night again. We are worried because people have to go to Blue Downs Police Station to report their cases at night. Sometimes people don’t have money to hire transport to the station and they end up not reporting their cases,” he explained.
Sono said the crime rate increased daily in the area due to alleged “poor police visibility”.
Asked about the claims during a media briefing to announce the provincial quarterly crime statistics at Gugulethu Police Barracks in Gugulethu on Thursday 22 February, provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembisile Patekile said he was not aware of the closure.
He referred the matter to the City of Cape Town District East Metropole District Commissioner, Maj Gen Vincent Beaton.
According to Beaton’s knowledge, the station renders the service 24 hours daily. However, he stated that he would follow up with the station commander.
“I’m not aware of that. I was not informed, but definitely will take steps. I will make sure that our standby officers visit the station after hours and send us a report.
“I will ask the station commander to put everything in place so that it doesn’t happen (again),” said Beaton.