Saps criminal record centre reopened after rental dispute

Management within the South African Police Service (Saps) on Monday confirmed its criminal record centre (CRC) headquarters in Tshwane is up and running.

The CRC had been closed since last Tuesday due to “an impasse” relating to rental payments.

The issue involved the building’s landlord and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI).

Last week, Colonel Athlenda Mathe said Saps was not in any rental arrears. News24 reported the DPWI was in a dispute with the CRC premises’ landlord.

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The closure of the CRC has resulted in a backlog of issuing police clearance certificates (PCC).

A PCC is an official document issued by the criminal record and crime scene management, which states if a person has had any criminal convictions recorded against them.

The documents are integral for people applying for emigration, or to be eligible to travel or be employed abroad.

Applicants were still able to physically drop off their PCC applications at the Bothongo West Plaza main entrance despite the CRC closure, where was to be collected and processed by personnel.

Saps said in a statement on Monday it was “business as usual” in administering criminal records, issuing police PCCs and processing fingerprint applications for firearms.

PCC applications have struggled to be finalised by police for years.

According to News24, responses from police minister Bheki Cele to DA MP and police spokesperson Andrew Whitfield found just over 50% of the certificates were finalised on time in 2019/20, and in 2020/21, just over 70% of the applications were completed.

Cele reportedly said procedural changes in application processes were responsible for delays, as well as load shedding, Covid-19, system failures and upgrades.

Last month, during the Tshwane metro’s Operation Ya Tima, services of the Saps administrative headquarters were disconnected, after it was found the landlord of the Wachtuis building owed R5.1 million.

The debt was later settled by the landlords.

Police’s “Pol TV” premises in Centurion, said to have owed the city more than R2 million, also had its services disconnected.