SEDIBENG.- Almost two years after the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) oversight visit to the Meyerton Licensing Department, the situation remains the same, appalling.

In April last year, the Transport and Infrastructure Committee of the DA conducted an oversight visit at the Meyerton Licensing Department and this is where, officials and staff raised serious operational and security concerns.

These included a lack of tools of trade, none-functional CCTV cameras, absence of Wi-Fi connectivity, and frequent break-ins at the facility. The most critical concern noted at the time was the collapsed and missing perimeter fence, which left the licensing department vulnerable and easily accessible to criminal activities and theft.

Fast forward to this year, on January 28 a follow up oversight visit was conducted at the same facility, and nothing has changed.

DA Councillor, Thabo Motsoane said, “It was observed with great concern that the situation has deteriorated further since the 2024 visit. The perimeter fence has still not been restored, and the department experienced another break-in around November 2025, during which computers were stolen.”

Additionally, Motsoane said, the public toilets are currently not operational due to extensive vandalism.

“This vandalism is directly linked to the lack of adequate security, as criminals can easily access the premises without restriction. The continued neglect of these issue poses a serious risk to staff safety, service delivery, and public access to basic facilities.”

The Meyerton Licensing Department is the responsibility of the Sedibeng District Municipality (SDM). Sedibeng Ster sent it, the SDM, an enquiry about the matter. No response had been received at the time of going to print.