Only three phone lines work at Kwa Police

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The personnel at the KwaNonqaba Police Station continue to work in extremely challenging conditions, with only three landlines in operation since November last year, and a premises that is not compliant with health standards.

In October last year, Mossel Bay Advertiser reported that the police station management and staff are still waiting for a new station, despite their dire work conditions.

The station serves the most densely populated community and the largest geographical area of all police stations in the greater Mossel Bay area.

KwaNonqaba Community Police Forum chairman Shadrack Shishana said that the only landlines working at the station are: the station commander's line, the Community Service Centre line and the switchboard, however, calls cannot be transferred from it because other lines are not working.

He said the lines are outdated and therefore cannot be maintained so if the three lines do not work, there will be no landlines at the station.

Currently, personnel rely on sector cell-phones and personal cellphones to do their work.

Five years
In 2019, the Mossel Bay Advertiser published an article, stating the station was non-compliant with health standards.

Five years later, on 30 October 2024, two Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) from the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) inspected the premises. The findings were almost exactly the same as in 2019.

Some of the findings included:
• No proper waste storage.
• Offices are housed in shipping-type containers, which are rusted, allowing in rodents and other animals.
• Toilets in the charge office ventilate directly into the charge office and kitchen space.
• Carpets in the administration block are still damp and soiled.
• The shower is used for storage due to a lack of storage space at the premises.

Non-compliant
GRDM spokesperson Herman Pieters said the KwaNonqaba Station commander was requested to report the findings to the relevant state department, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) before 28 November last year.

"The premises is considered non-compliant with health standards and therefore a non-compliance notice was issued to them," he said.

Pieters said interventions need to be implemented by the DPWI, which is responsible for all government buildings.

When the DPWI was sent questions by the Advertiser regarding non-compliance with health standards, the department spokesperson, Thami Mchunu, said the maintenance issues "fall under the responsibility of the user and the landlord".

He said: "The department recognises the importance of these issues. Therefore, it will engage the user and the landlord to address the issues."

The municipality said council resolved to alienate a portion of erf 13899, at the corner of Adriaans and Dyabaza avenue, KwaNonqaba, to the DPWI, to establish a new police station.

"Until such time the department will be responsible for the maintenance of the building, the fence and the garden in terms of the current lease agreement between the department and the municipality."

The Advertiser sent questions to the DPWI regarding the statement from the municipality and the landlines on Tuesday, 11 February, but had not received a response at the time of going to print.

Questions were also sent by the Advertiser to the National South African Police Service regarding the landlines and the condition of the premises on 28 January. It had not responded at the time of going to print.

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