Initiative to rejuvenate satellite police station
Several consultations within Barberton will honour Mandela by renovating the satellite police station that was burnt down by protesters during the service-delivery violence in March 2012.
BARBERTON – Since Mandela Month commenced, numerous organisations and government departments will embark on activities that will make a difference to citizens of the country as a way of honouring the global icon, Dr Nelson Mandela as July 18 will commemorate his birthday.
Mpumalanga News learnt that after several consultations with the community and the increase of crime activity in the town, the local parliamentary office would honour Mandela by renovating the satellite police station that was burnt down by protesters during the service-delivery violence in March 2012.
This was after the Umjindi Community Forum voiced serious concern about the slow pace of getting stands and waiting years to receive RDP houses – it went further and accused Umjindi Local Municipality of corruption.
“We call upon local businesses and organisations to donate material to renovate our local satellite police station because it’s very important in our society. We engaged with our community on several occasions and most of them indicated that they still needed the station since it was benefiting the people in fighting crime and rendering other services that we receive from the SAPS.
So, on Mandela Day, we will start to renovate it. If everything goes according to plan, we will hand it over officially during Women’s Month in August,” said Cllr Mongezi Nkosi of Ward 7.
He said the station would not only provide services that people normally get from the SAPS, but would also help the community policing forum to operate well, because they would have a station where they were based.
“We want other services to be closer to the people and we would also like to have a fire station here, but we are not going to achieve that on our own. We really need businesses or organisations to assist on this project,” he concluded.
One of the residents, Ms Nonkululeko Sibiya, had this to say regarding this project, “It’s a good idea to renovate the station because at this stage, we are forced to spend money to go to town, even for minor things like affidavits. When the station was functioning, it was easy.”
Those who are willing to donate to this project, can call Umjindi parliamentary office during office hours on
013-712-6268.
