Community members and staff are concerned about the deteriorating state of the Hazyview Police Station’s entrance.

Structural beams have decayed to the point of collapse, placing both the public and employees at risk. One staff member, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration that the issue has been ignored for some time.

“The structure has been in bad shape for a while. It was reported to the maintenance division for repairs but no action was taken. We had to use pieces of wood and wire to support the structure so it doesn’t fall, but that is not a permanent fix; it could collapse at any moment. We aren’t just worried about ourselves; we have people, including small children, visiting the station daily for various reasons. They could get hurt. We are appealing to station management and provincial authorities to intervene before someone gets injured.”

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Community member Andrew Joubert also called on management to prioritise repairs or close the entrance entirely until the structure is secured.

“They are risking the lives of the public and the staff who use that gate every day. Everyone who visits this station uses that entrance and fixing it should have been a priority. To make matters worse, we are in the heart of the tourism sector. If a visitor to our town gets hurt here, it will tarnish Hazyview’s reputation,” he said.

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Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane said the beams had been damaged by termites and was treated in November.

“The province lacks the expertise to repair the roof or conduct technical assessments required to determine the full extent of the damage,” she said. “A request was submitted to the SAPS head office to conduct an assessment. We are still waiting for assistance.”

Currently, red tape has been placed around the damaged area to prevent people from walking under it.