Cele urges police to fast-track service delivery

Police Minister, General Bheki Cele has urged the South African Police Services (SAPS) to fast track accessibility to policing services for all people living in the country.

Cele was speaking at the opening of a state of the art police station in Daggakraal in Mpumalanga, which he attended together with SAPS National Commissioner, General Khehla John Sitole and Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety security and Liaison, Vusi Shongwe on Monday. 

The rural community of Daggakraal is grappling with high incidents of stock theft, house breaking and varied cases of assault and sexual violence. Residents have unit now relied on a satellite office to access police services. 

As part of the SAPS’s efforts to bring services and resources closer to the people, the newly unveiled police station, includes a community service centre, holding cells and victim friendly rooms (VFR) to accommodate victims and survivors of Gender Based Violence. A total of 51 operational and non-operational police officers will report to work at the police station to service the 35 0000 people living in Daggakraal. 

Cele and SAPS management conducted a community engagement session in a bid to understand and respond to the needs of people living in the region.

In his response to residents’ concerns, which included the long distance residents have to travel to report a crime, as well as the slow response time of the police, Cele said the SAPS had embarked on a service delivery programme that was informed by population growth and spatial development. 

“The access to a responsive police service should not be a privilege but a right that we as government are working each day to achieve, the strategic deployment of resources must mean that residents of any community don’t have to walk kilometres on end or rely on an expensive taxi or bus ride to access policing services,” Cele said.

“People should not have to choose between putting food on the table and going to report a crime,” he said.

The Daggakraal police station is one of 1159 police stations servicing communities across the country.