Today, the City celebrates increased policing resources as the South African Police Service (SAPS) took a crucial step forward in addressing the pressing need for enhanced safety. We welcome the handing over of the Makhaza Police Station and the sod-turning for the Tafelsig Police Station.
The initiation of these projects is a testament to the collaborative efforts between the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the City of Cape Town, reflecting our shared dedication to enhancing law enforcement infrastructure and services in areas that need it the most.
The Makhaza site was sold by the City to the Department of Public Works in 2018 and the Tafelsig site in 2014. The City also recently sold the site for the new Belhar police station at a discounted rate, approved the lease of a portion of our Nyanga Depot Building in New Eisleben in Nyanga and is working with SAPS on a Browns Farm satellite police station with a further facility to follow in Mfuleni. The City of Cape Town is committed to working with SAPS and facilitating the release of land and buildings to increase police stations within the city.
We extend our appreciation to SAPS for their efforts in bringing these projects to fruition in areas where new police stations were urgently needed and where the City has added its voice along with those of local communities for more resources. As we look forward to the expansion of more SAPS facilities and resources, we reaffirm our resolve to continue working hand in hand with SAPS and other stakeholders to create safer, more resilient communities for all through sharing our policing resources and technologies from the City, and continued collaboration with SAPS on the ground.
We further call on the National Minister to continue his investment in SAPS resources within Cape Town by modernising SAPS through computer-aided dispatch and other technological advancements within the policing sector and by boosting the number of police officers and detectives at police stations.
We cannot push back against gangs, extortion, and construction mafias with more boots on the ground alone – we need to start making meaningful arrests that lead to convictions.
