Gauteng DA conducts oversight visit to Norkem Park police station
The annual rent for the building was R238 479 in 2005, which has now ballooned to R631 863.
Members of the DA and the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, led by Mike Waters, recently did an oversight visit to the Norkem Park SAPS precinct.
Waters, a DA member, said the party had advocated for a new, fit-for-purpose police station in the Norkem Park precinct for the past 20 years.
“The police station is housed in an old, small building. The charge office is cramped, and residents have no privacy when reporting crimes. Additionally, there are no holding cells, which puts the safety of residents at risk,” said Waters.
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He explained that the detective branch is in a separate building because of the small current building, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands annually.
“In 2005, the annual rent for this off-site building was R238 479. Today, that rent has skyrocketed to R631 863, an alarming 265% increase,” said Waters.
Waters said that in 2005, the DA proposed converting the old Kempton Park Hospital into a police station, but concerns over the renovation costs saw the idea rejected.
“If the SAPS had converted the old Kempton Park Hospital into a police station 20 years ago, the savings on renting the detective branch would have more than covered the cost of the necessary renovations,” he added.
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The DA argued that refusing to embrace this proposal led to the deterioration of an unused building and a police station that is unfit for purpose, negatively impacting the public.
“Residents deserve a properly functioning police station, and the DA will continue to fight for a solution that meets the community’s needs,” said Waters.
The Kempton Express submitted an enquiry to the premier’s office on March 11, requesting a response by March 17.
No comment was received at the time of going to print.
