Norwood police barracks still remain in dire condition
NORWOOD – Tenants are to be blamed for failing to ensure that their residence is kept clean at all times.
The situation at the infamous Norwood Police Barracks is worsening even though the 10-storey residential building received a major revamp last year to restore its deteriorating condition.
Filth, dirt, broken windows and doors, lifts that are not working accompanied by an unbearable stench from uncollected waste, is the order of the day at the residential area, witnessed by a journalist who visited the site.
The building, in the Johannesburg north-eastern suburb, houses men and women in blue but the conditions there reflects an abandoned building.
After a series of articles published in the North Eastern Tribune over the years including Police barracks get revamp [Week Ending 17 November 2017] efforts were taken to paint, fix the windows and the doors, and furthermore, cleaners were brought in to come and sweep the building.
The structure belongs to the Norwood Police Station but senior managers there blame the situation entirely on the tenants accusing them of neglecting their duty to keep it habitable and tidy.
The building was revamped, however, conditions show no signs of improvements done and it continues to worsen by the day – exposing children to health hazards.
The current acting Station Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Sithole, has acknowledged that the conditions there are appalling reiterating that children are indeed at risk.
Sithole told North Eastern Tribune on 3 April that efforts were indeed taken to restore the situation there but he claimed it was met with unwillingness and neglect from the tenants who he said fail to take good care of their residence. “We even had to thoroughly clean the building, and furthermore, fumigated the kitchens.
“They [tenants] park their cars in such a way that they block that narrow road leading to the main entrance of the building preventing waste trucks from collecting waste, thus you see the bins are forever full.”
Sithole said he only had one meeting with the tenants and suggested that they form block committees to enable the flow of communication between them and the station’s management.
Muzi Mkhwanazi, the spokesperson for waste management entity Pikitup, said the issue oversteps Pikitup’s mandate.
“It is the responsibility of law enforcement agents to resolve. Engagements did take place to advise the station to ensure easy access to the place.”
Mkhwanazi, however, said in terms of Pikitup’s operational plans the area will be serviced this weekend.
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