Residents help fix up damaged police station
The satellite police station situated in Mohlakeng was damaged during recent protests but is accessible to the community again.
The satellite police station situated in Mohlakeng that sustained heavy damage during recent protests is once again accessible to the community.
According to Captain Appel Ernst, Randfontein Police spokesperson, the office was closed for a number of weeks in order to replace damaged windows and repair other structural issues.
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“The temporary closure of the police station had a serious effect on the most vulnerable of our community, namely the elderly and the sick. Even though the windows, doors and palisade fence were fixed and the police were operational again, the inside of the building, which had sustained fire damage, was an eyesore to the community.”
She said a number of local residents, under the leadership of Ally Mosina, approached Brigadier Mashole Jacob Manamela, the Randfontein Police station commander, volunteering to clean and paint the area, in order to make it accessible to the community again.
On Monday, 18 June a meeting was held at the Randfontein Police Station and the group indicated that they would be responsible for the resources in order to achieve their goal.
On Thursday morning, 21 June, a group of approximately 45 local residents and contractors, who volunteered their time and money, started cleaning up the area.
The entire building was painted and the garden and surrounding areas were cleaned. At 2pm, the group took great pride in presenting Manamela and his management with the cleaned-up building and premises.
“I am humbled – humbled by your initiative – and I want to say thank you, a million times over. I have never before seen such a project where our community took the initiative and delivered on their promise,” Brigadier Manamela said.
He also congratulated every person who gave of themselves to ensure that this project was a success. In closing he said, “I am pleading with our residents, when and if you are partaking in any protest action, refrain from destroying what belongs to you. Where will you go for assistance if you destroy that which is already at your disposal?”
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