UMBILO detectives have abandoned their offices this week after years of contending with deteriorating working conditions.
The detective branch staff told Berea Mail they have had enough because numerous complaints to management have fallen on deaf ears, and they abandoned their offices on the fifth floor of a private block belonging to a storage company on Magwaza Maphalala (Gale) Street. They have vowed not to return until they have a habitable building to work in.
A detective who spoke to Berea Mail on conditions of anonymity said, “We are still working just not from there, and we have decided to use the Umbilo station offices until management come to a resolution.”
The detective said the whole floor has not had air conditioning since 2012, they had no wheelchair access despite the branch being open to the public, and their elevator was constantly breaking down. “In the summertime it is unbearable, especially in the smaller middle offices that don't have windows, and with load shedding fans the don't work! There are water leaks and toilets don't always work, but when they do the ladies' toilets leak and the men's urinal has been broken for more than a year without anything being done about it.”
Besides unhealthy working conditions, another detective said, “Sometimes when the lifts break down captains are stuck for up to an hour before the repair guys get them fixed. The main problem is our access to the building – as detectives we are expected to be a 24-hour service yet our offices open at 7.30am and close at about 5pm. We can't access our dockets at night to follow up on leads. These things affect our performance,” he added.
Sergeant Beverly Manquele, communications officer at Umbilo SAPS, said she was aware of the grievances. “Their grievances have been registered and the grievance process is underway. They are currently working from the station,” she said.
