MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Western Cape MEC for Community Safety, Minister Dan Plato and the deputy provincial commissioner of police in the province, Major-General Mpumelelo Manci have noted the safety concerns raised by Dana Bay residents and will revert to them by next month on the issues raised.
Minister Plato promised Dana Bay residents to personally investigate and to promote their concerns about working conditions and the lack of a public order policing unit at the KwaNonqaba Police Station to the relevant higher authorities.
Hosted by the executive mayor of Mossel Bay, Alderman Harry Levendal, the ward councillor Marie de Klerk and the municipal manager, Advocate Thys Giliomee, the minister and the major-general were thoroughly briefed on the safety concerns that gave rise to residents of Dana Bay insisting on an additional access road to their suburb.
It was previously agreed that this additional road will be an extension of Flora Road and link up with the N2 at the Herbertsdale intersection.
Although crime is not rife in Dana Bay, the community has repeatedly raised fears about safety as the single access road to the area has repeatedly resulted in residents being trapped in the suburb.
KwaNonqaba Police Station
Dana Bay residents reiterated their concern about the working conditions that members of the police service have to endure at the KwaNonqaba Police Station.
Alderman Levendal stressed that the municipality has done as much as can be done to address and ameliorate conditions at the station which is housed in an old municipal building that is "entirely not suited for purposes of a police station".
"I have written letters to the provincial authorities, the municipality has written letters to the national police minister to address the situation. I was instrumental in availing suitable land for a new police station in KwaNonqaba. If the offer of land is not acted upon, the municipality will have to reconsider matters," the mayor insisted.
Adv Giliomee said conditions at the police station pose both a health and safety concern. "Other than that, the station is under resourced. It serves the rural communities such as Vleesbaai, Buisplaas and Herbertsdale.
"Lack of sufficient resources forced the satellite police station in Herbertsdale to close. Other communities hardly ever experience a police presence in their area.
"The lack of a holding facility necessitates police members to transport arrested suspects to nearby police stations, often to Albertinia or Great Brak River, resulting in the only police vehicle available to attend to cases having to leave KwaNonqaba for hours on end.
"The KwaNonqaba Police Station serves the most densely populated area with probably the highest crime statistics in the area. In addition it serves the largest rural area of all the police stations in the greater Mossel Bay area, yet the station is woefully under resourced," Adv Giliomee stressed.
Dana Bay residents lauded the members of the KwaNonqaba police who remain dedicated to their task of serving and protecting all in their area of jurisdiction. They listed, however, several safety concerns that directly impact the efficacy of the police members at the station.
"The members are so dedicated that they will use their private vehicles to attend to urgent cases in the area. This begs serious questions about the safety of the members who manage the community service centre, especially at night."
Western Cape MEC for Community Safety in the Western Cape, minister Dan Plato and the deputy provincial commissioner of police in the province, Major-General Mpumelelo Manci were hosted in Dana Bay by ward councillor Marie de Klerk. With them, from left, are Councillor Niklaas Booisen, municipal manager Adv Thys Giliomee and the executive mayor of Mossel Bay, Alderman Harry Levendal. Photo: Nickey le Roux
Minister Plato and Major-General Manci asked that residents support the Dana Bay neighbourhood watch, a registered voluntary organisation. "You be our eyes and ears," the general asked. He insisted that the police plan for community safety includes partnerships.
"We need to work when criminals work. We also need to strengthen the community policing forums and to continue to follow a target driven approach. There remains a lot that we can do together to combat crime," the general concluded.
Read a previous article: Dana Bay residents take firm stand
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