Shocking circumstances at Akasia police station lead to intervention
During a site visit, it became evident that the station is under-resourced, the morale is low and the infrastructure is crumbling.
Police officers at the Akasia Police station are forced to process suspects in office boardrooms due to a lack of holding cells.
This shocking revelation came to light during an oversight inspection by the DA in Gauteng, raising serious concerns about safety, human rights, and the state’s ability to uphold law and order.
Now, the SAPS National Supply Chain Management will implement intervention measures in addressing infrastructure gaps.
This intervention follows the north of the Pretoria police station, buckling under the weight of rising crime and crumbling infrastructure.
According to DA Gauteng Leader, Solly Msimanga, the station is meant to operate with at least 24 vehicles to serve its vast policing area of over 150 square kilometres.
Msimanga said that only 13 vehicles are currently working, and just five can be used for visible policing.
One of those is regularly used to transport arrested suspects to other police stations, due to the lack of onsite holding facilities, effectively turning a patrol car into a makeshift taxi.
During the site visit, it was also discovered that suspects are often brought into administrative areas, including the station’s boardroom, to be processed and held temporarily while waiting for transfer.
The situation not only exposes staff to potential danger but also raises concerns about evidence contamination, breaches of privacy, and improper procedures that could undermine the justice process.
“This is not how a functioning police station should operate.
“When a boardroom designed for meetings and administrative work is being used to handle criminal suspects, it becomes clear that the system is broken.
“This setup puts both staff and suspects at risk, and it’s unacceptable in a democratic society,” he said.
The station, currently managed at a brigadier level despite its size and crime rate, is severely under-resourced.
It has 242 staff members who are crammed into an old, dilapidated building, with no victim empowerment centre. Basic facilities such as holding cells and secure file storage are either missing or makeshift.
Msimanga said several police officers have reportedly been hospitalised due to work-related stress and depression, brought on by the high demands and poor working conditions.
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Community Safety, Crezane Bosch, said this is not just about buildings and vehicles, it’s about human lives.
“The morale at this station is alarmingly low. Officers feel unsupported, overworked, and abandoned by those in power.”
The DA is calling on Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to prioritise infrastructure investment in stations like Akasia.
A full dossier of the DA’s findings from its ongoing anti-crime campaign is being compiled and will be submitted to both Lesufi and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
The document will include reports from many of the police stations across the province that have similar problems.
“If we are serious about fighting crime, then we must start by resourcing our law enforcement officers adequately.
“Without space, without vehicles, and proper leadership, they are being set up to fail,” added Msimanga.
Provincial spokesperson, Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, said the management of SAPS in Gauteng is aware of the situation and has escalated the matter to the SAPS National Head Office.
“National Division Supply Chain Management has intervention measures in place, addressing infrastructure gaps as one of the identified priorities in the SAPS five-year strategic plan,” Nevhuhulwi said.
“Suspects arrested at stations without holding cells are accommodated by neighbouring police stations. The province has a contingency plan in place to ensure that suspects are accommodated without overcrowding and that service delivery is not hampered.”
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Resident Gomolemo Chipane said that the service at the station is bad and the facility looks outdated.
“I no longer go to the Akasia police station, I prefer the one in Pretoria North because I know I will get the help I want immediately.
“This one [Akasia], everything there is prolonged. People queue to certify copies outside the building, and that alone is concerning.”
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