DA barred from Westville SAPS oversight
The very same DA delegation was granted access to host an oversight inspection of its trauma room.
AFTER it was barred from a Westville SAPS oversight inspection last week, the Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal will write to the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, to voice its concerns.
The latest incident, which took place last Tuesday during an announced oversight inspection of the local station, happened days after a DA delegation was also banned from inspecting the Inanda Police Station.
The DA KZN spokesman on social development, Elma Rabe, said, “The SAPS visits form part of an initiative aimed at establishing the availability of, among others, rape kits, victim trauma rooms and properly trained staff to deal with sexual offences.”
The visits were also made ahead of Friday’s sentencing of the notorious Durban Highway Rapist. Charges against the perpetrator were made at the Westville and Pinetown stations.
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“At Westville SAPS, the DA was met by the acting station commander who advised us that he received an instruction that we were not to go ahead with the inspection. This has led to a situation where there is absolutely no accountability and no one, apart from those who work at the station, know whether it is equipped to deal with sexual offences or not,” said Rabe.
Despite being barred from Westville SAPS, the DA was later allowed entry to Pinetown SAPS. Rape kits for both adults and children were readily available and staff members at the station were personally involved in preparing a victim-friendly room.
“While still in progress, the DA is satisfied this facility will meet the needs of victims,” said Rabe.
During the inspection it was revealed that the Pinetown cluster deals with an average of 25 cases of sexual assault and rape each month.
“Yesterday’s oversights have shown that the issue of access to certain SAPS stations for the purposes of oversight remains problematic. As members of the Provincial Legislature, my colleague, DA KZN Community Safety spokesman, Sharon Hoosen, and I had every right to enter in terms of our constitutional mandate,” said Rabe.
Provincial SAPS has since issued a statement regarding the incident. This will appear in next week’s Highway Mail as an update.
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