By REGINALD KANYANE
The residents of Kokomeng village near Taung call on the South African Police Services (SAPS) to do something about the abandoned dilapidating Kokomeng Police Station building.
One of the community leaders, Tebogo Motshebe said the building poses a threat to the community as something nefarious could happen there. Now occasional vagrants camp out in a dilapidating building, which is a ‘potential disaster’.
“In essence, the basic structural components of the building are hazardous. The electric wires are exposed, ceiling and roofing have dilapidated. Remember, this police station used to serve twelve villages in the Baga-Maidi cluster.
“Unfortunately, the institution was destroyed and burned down by protesting community members in 2018. The community members embarked on a protest demanding a tarred road between Molelema and Matsheng villages,” he said.
Motshebe further said, now criminals are taking whatever is left including roof sheets, windows, and door frames. He said, however, the relevant authorities are not doing anything.
“We have written numerous letters to them regarding this matter. The services we were receiving from this police station were essential. Now, people have to travel over 50km and pay R100 to Taung Police Station just to certify just one copy of ID.
“We can no longer afford this situation anymore. We need someone to assist us in voicing our grievances. We need the police station to be revamped and function again,” said Motshebe.
He also lambasted those who torched the police station because now residents must bear the brunt.
The North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena said they had satellite police stations in Freedom Park, Magogong, Majakaneng, and Komomeng, however, three of them were torched by the communities.
Kwena said, there is a time when they had to appear before the national Parliament Portfolio Committee to explain why there cannot be a satellite police station in Komomeng village.
“Now, because of the scarcity of resources, we are coming up with mobile satellite police stations, which are effectively implemented. The people who suffer the most are in villages because they have to travel to town to access police stations.
“So, these mobile police stations will move from one village to the other to address necessary challenges from community members. We will always move the resources where there are hotspots and priorities,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Constituency Head in the Greater Taung Local Municipality, Sello Seitlholo, who is also MP said: “The old satellite police station was burnt down by community members after complaints that the police failed to attend to reported criminal activities and some police officers would often come to work intoxicated.
“The police station services atleast 22 724 people residing in Kokomeng, Molelema, and 10 other smaller rural villages. On 11 March 2020, the Portfolio Committee on Police and the North West Department of Public Works met to deliberate on the state of the police station. Promises were made to fix the police station and to rebuild it as a satellite station.”
Seitlholo said, the Portfolio Committee Chairperson promised that the committee would receive monthly reports on the progress of rebuilding the police station, but to date, no report has been received.
He said they will request the DA Shadow Minister on Police, Andrew Whitfield, to again write to the portfolio committee chair for an update on the progress of establishing a satellite police station.
“There’s been no response from the Provincial Commissioner. In the presentation to the Portfolio Committee, the commissioner indicated that the building was handed over to the Department of Public Works (DPW) for repairs and that the Sub Bud Adjudication Committee of DPW had a meeting on 4 March 2020 where the repairs of Kokomeng Police Station were approved.
“The DA, therefore, will request our Provincial Spokesperson on Public Works, Freddy Sonakile, to write to the North West MEC of Public Works and Roads to find out why there has been a delay in the repair of the station,” said Seitlholo.
The Guardian 