Much-needed satellite station to reopen before festive season
The Mashishing satellite police station should be up and running this December after it has been closed for more than three years due to a of shortage of staff
LYDENBURG – The Mashishing satellite police station should be up and running this December after it has been closed for more than three years due to a of shortage of staff.
A meeting was called a week ago where the station commander of Lydenburg SAPS, Col Hans Putter and deputy director for work study, organisational development and frontline services of the Mpumalanga provincial department, Col Gilbert Gininda informed the media of the reopening of this station.
Putter said that the Mashishing satellite station was a priority and would be reopened before the festive season was in full swing and an increase in crime could take place.
Gininda said that they had received a letter from the residents in Mashishing regarding the closure of the station and that he was sent to investigate the matter.
“We are not only dealing with the station in Mashishing, but with all the stations in Mpumalanga. Our investigation left us with one crucial challenge the shortage of manpower.”
Gininda said that several recom-mendations had been made for the reopening of the station.
“These include the disbandment of the Crime Prevention Unit (CPU). These members will then be allocated to the Mashishing station.”
“Others include that every relief on duty should post two members at the Mashishing station, that the station be prioritised for personnel placement according to the shortage by means of transfers or lateral placement.
“The provincial Community Police Forum (CPF) will attend to the challenges of the dysfunctional CPF in town. Badfontein will also be policed through sector policing until the station is fully capacitated and thereafter opened to function 24 hours a day. Reservists will also be encouraged and utilised for deployment at the station.”
A sector van will also be provided to patrol the area. Gininda said that a shortage of staff was a national problem.
“Members are leaving the force in numbers. Training of members now take two years instead of six months.
By the time those members are trained another gap would have occurred in the police force because of deaths or retirement. We cannot deploy members from one station to another. That would be like robbing Paul to pay Peter.”
Putter also said that Lydenburg SAPS had the highest understaffed C-category members in the whole province. “We have, however, managed to keep crime at bay if you look at the crime stats. Students can also not be added to personnel strength. We cannot send those inexperienced youngsters to Mashishing.”
He said that it should also be kept in mind that the SAPS work with humans, who also got sick or pregnant and had family responsibilities.
Putter also said that they would provide the contact information of the officer on duty for the week should residents not get the assistance they need.
This is not restricted to Mashishing only, but for the whole town.
This number will be published in the newspaper weekly.
