New Diepsloot Police Station gathers dust

The station is lying idle as police officers continue to squat in the local Metro offices. This after the law enforcers were supposed to move into the building in August last year.

The two-storey red brick building which has been under construction for the past seven years and has not been put to use as contractors reportedly put the final touches to the imposing structure at a snail’s pace.

The new police station has a proper charge office, investigators’ offices, interrogation rooms, holding cells and adequate parking space.

Gauteng MEC Panyaza Lesufi joined a chorus of local voices calling for the completion of the construction while the Diepsloot men and women in blue are being forced to share very limited office space with Johannesburg traffic cops.

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“I have been to the police station building and it is empty because water and electricity are still to be connected. We want the police officers to move out of the JMPD building and relocate to their offices before the end of this year,” said Lesufi while speaking during a social imbizo held in Diepsloot recently.

A DA councillor in the area, Refilwe Mathebula, was vocal about the lack of a proper police station to superintend the protection of over 130 000 Diepsloot residents. Mathebula said it was supposed to be functional last August.

“Now they are saying they will open it this August, but construction is still going on at a very slow pace. They are forever [adding] final touches,” said Mathebula.

Mathebula complained that the crime rate in the area was exceptionally high over weekends, adding that the small police station was hardly coping. She said the current police station has no holding cells which means police officers are forced to detain suspects at Randburg Police Station.

“It might not be surprising if some suspects are just allowed to go home on a warning because they do not have space to keep them,” said Mathebula.

She divulged that the police do not even have a room to keep the liquor confiscated during raids.

“The liquor is now occupying the majority of the police reception area. Liquor is just stashed in the reception area. And this is not on for a police station,” said Mathebula.

Diesploot police spokesman, Warrant Officer Daniel Mavimbela, declined to comment on the new police station gathering dust without occupants. He said he was not worried about office space. “Police work is in the streets and I will talk about the new police station as soon as we move in,” said Mavimbila during an interview with Fourways Review on 7 July.

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