Parliament Committee discusses issues surrounding Excelsior Court

NEW Acting KZN SAPS Provincial Commissioner, General Lucky Mkhwanazi has vowed that the issues surrounding the slum-like, rat-infested police barracks at 97 Mokaba (Ridge) Road will be addressed as a matter of urgency.

This comes after the matter was raised at a Police Portfolio Committee meeting in parliament last month by the DA’s shadow deputy minister of police, Dianne Kohler Barnard.

Barnard brought the issue to the attention of parliament after meeting with residents living in proximity to the building and ward councillor Chris Pappas, who raised their concerns regarding the dilapidated state of the building and the health and security issues it posed.

Barnard said she had informed the new National Police Commissioner (NPC) that Excelsior Court was indicative of many other similar buildings across the country owned by the Department of Public Works. She said there were in fact very few police officers currently residing in the building, but that the flats had been sub-let or simply illegally invaded and occupied.

“I told him of an advertisement in Gumtree where one officer let his flat out as holiday accommodation. I revealed that a fire hose had been lowered down from one of the floors and was used to wash taxis. The all-night parties, gun shots and slum-like conditions were all confirmed by the local SAPS station head,” she said.

In response, the SAPS top structure confirmed Barnard’s finding and said they were aware of the sub-letting issues. They said steps had been taken to remove those living in the building as the lease period had expired. Barnard said the matter had been to court which had ruled that alternative accommodation had to be provided and that the responsibility lay with the Provincial Commissioner who has been on suspension for over two years.

“SAPS admitted that this has been an on-going problem for many years and said they would have to get a court order to forcefully remove those in residence. The information they have indicates that drugs are being sold from the property and that foreigners have moved into the building,” said Barnard, adding that all nine Provincial Commissioners will be called before the Police Portfolio Committee to explain their laxity in the matter of SAPS accommodation. SAPS Legal Services personnel will also attend and be expected to provide answers.

ALSO READ: Condemned Excelsior Court still a concern for neighbours

Barnard added that it was alleged that police members living in Excelsior Court were refusing to pay for municipal services like water and electricity. “SAPS said they had wanted to deduct the money owing from their salaries, but that the law prevented them from doing so without the consent of the member. I asked why they weren’t simply cut off, because if I or any other resident in Durban didn’t pay, our services would simply be cut off. Again they said the responsibility lay with the Province,” she said.

She said the committee was now calling for a full report of all police accommodation nationwide, the status of the accommodation and ranks of those residing in what she described as “virtually free accommodation.”

“This building, as with all state buildings, is owned by Public Works and is leased to the SAPS. Public Works does not want to take the building back to carry out renovations and is handing the matter over to the SANDF until all the SAPS, Railway Police and squatters have been moved out. However, these people don’t want to move out and there is currently a court case pending appealing their eviction, but this court case has dragged on unresolved for many, many years,” she said.

Barnard said the new Acting KZN Provincial Commissioner, General Lucky Mkhwanazi, was a man of action and the NPC had assured her that the matter would be attended to as soon as possible. “It will stay on my radar until it is,” she said.

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