Gauteng Legislature takes oversight visit to Kempton Park Police Station

The Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s portfolio committee on Community Safety recently conducted oversight visits to two of the top 40 poorest-performing police stations in the province.

The committee members visited Kempton Park Police Station on February 7 and one day earlier they went to the Roodepoort Police Station.

The chairperson of the portfolio committee on community safety, Bandile Masuku, said the purpose of these visits was to assess and address key challenges affecting crime prevention and law enforcement in these police precincts.

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Masuku stated at Kempton Park Police Station, the committee identified significant issues related to police corruption, with certain officers allegedly collaborating with criminals involved in illegal activities, such as the trafficking of drugs.

Furthermore, the station is grappling with an increasing presence of undocumented foreigners in the area, which adds complexity to the already strained law enforcement situation.

The committee also noted the lack of effective collaboration between the police, councillors, and the CPF, which undermines efforts to tackle crime effectively.

Following the visits, the committee emphasised the urgent need for improved cooperation between all stakeholders, including the SAPS, local government representatives, and community leaders, to tackle crime collectively.

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Masuku stated the committee acknowledged the crime statistics and challenges at Roodepoort Police Station, particularly the alarmingly high rates of murder and attempted murder, primarily linked to house burglary, random shootings linked to vigilantism, and illegal mining activities.

He said the committee identified serious crimes such as assault, gender-based violence, rape, robberies, and car hijacking as significant concerns.

“One of the most concerning revelations was the lack of cooperation from certain parts of the community.

“In some instances, community members actively hinder police efforts by stoning and burning police vehicles when they respond to crime incidents,” said Masuku.

“The committee acknowledges the deep challenges faced by law enforcement in this area but insists on greater collaboration with the public to combat crime.”

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Masuku said during the oversight process, the committee, in collaboration with stakeholders, identified key challenges and developed actionable intervention plans to address these issues.

“The portfolio committee has committed to raise the issues arising from the visits in their regular standing meeting with the provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, especially regarding resource allocation and the need for strategic interventions to improve policing at these stations,” said Masuku.

“The committee is optimistic that, with the right resources and coordinated efforts, crime in these areas can be reduced.”

“The committee has seen positive results in its previous interventions, such as at the Rietgat Police Station, which services the Jukulyn area amongst others, where crime started to decrease following targeted interventions.

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“The committee believes similar strategies can be applied at Roodepoort and Kempton Park Police Stations to achieve similar successes,” added Masuku.

He said the committee further recognised the need for a conversation about policing in informal settlements as they present with unique challenges such as no street names, no house numbers, inadequate lighting, and other factors that make policing difficult.