Secunda offices of police unit that investigates GBV without electricity for weeks
Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, SAPS provincial spokesperson, said concerns were raised with the Department of Public Works about unpaid electricity bills.
Amidst a nationwide outcry against gender-based violence, local detectives investigating these cases are literally in the dark.
The offices of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Secunda have been without electricity for weeks.
This is apparently because the Department of Public Works has not paid the electricity bill, leading to dockets piling up and investigations to drag out.
A lack of vehicles for FCS units also contributes to cases not being dealt with in time. This is according to the community, especially victims of sexual crimes.
A victim from eMbalenhle was initially fuming that her case was still dragging on. Her case only went to court twice since she opened it last year. She was concerned and went to the court to find out what was causing the delay.
“I went to the Secunda sexual offences court and asked the prosecutor why my case did not progress. I was told the investigator on the case did not submit witness statements and failed to summon the witnesses.
“I then confronted the investigating officer at the FCS office, only to find him sitting in the dark with a pile of dockets. I realised these dedicated detectives are working under extremely difficult circumstances,” the woman said.
“The detectives are working in the dark. There has not been electricity for several weeks,” she explained.
Another rape victim, who went to the offices to enquire about the delay in her case, also found a detective in the dark.
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“He told me he had a pile of dockets that needed to be updated but unfortunately, the power was out. He was also waiting on a colleague for a car with which we had to travel to eMbalenhle so that I could identify my assailant.”
Yet another victim of sexual assault said she lost hope in the Secunda FCS because they lack resources to resolve sexual cases.
Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, SAPS provincial spokesperson, said concerns were raised with the Department of Public Works about unpaid electricity bills.
“We acknowledge the lack of vehicles, but I request commanders to borrow vehicles from other components for these detectives,” said Mdhluli.
He said the matter is a work in progress, but there are no reasons the dockets cannot get to court or progress.
