RESIDENTS SAYS THE POLICE STATION IS USELESS

BY STAFF REPOTER
Watervaal Boven: Residents of Watervaal Boven say their police station is useless, following allegations that it closes its doors for operations at 19:00. They also claim that they are turned back by police members and told to return in the morning to open cases.
However, the Watervaal Boven Police Station is supposed to be a 24 hour operational facility and responsible for the safety of residents of Watervaal Boven and other nearest sprawling farms. People whom the police station is supposed to serve are angry at its services and claim it is useless and not helpful as it closes its gates during the night. The residents had also complained about the lack of police visibility and the sluggish response time of the police when called.According to a resident, Sibusiso Ngwenya, told Timeless News that they are fed-up with the service at the police station where they are flocking to try and report cases during the night but turned away. “I accompanied a group of students from Nkangala TVET College who went to open a case of burglary, we found the police station gates locked with a chain. When we asked, we were told that they were closed and should come back in the morning,” he said. Ngwenya added that this is not the first time the public has been turned away by the police while trying to enter the premises to seek help. “We cannot move freely during the night because we are not protected. We are living in fear from our homes as criminals are taking advantage of the situation and attack us. I feel that the government has deprived us of the right to safety in our residence,” he said.
Ngwenya said the police senior officials in the province and national should play a pivotal role in bringing other officials who are willing to help the community.
“Every now and then there is robbery and burglary incidents targeting Nkangala TVET College students at their residence and the perpetrators are not arrested. Criminals operate freely during the night here. We demand the police members who will serve the interests of the people,” he said.
Mpumalanga Provincial Police Spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, said the Watervaal Boven Police Station is operational during the night. However, at night the station management decided to put in place precautionary security measures to safeguard the lives of members on duty.
“This was implemented after security scan of the area was done, in addition to the incident where members at Waterval Boven were attacked whilst on duty. The station has ensured that members of the public use a buzzing system whenever they require to make use of the Waterval Boven community service centre at night,’ he said. Mdhluli said the police members would attend to the public when using the buzzing system placed at the police station entrance. “This does not mean that the services to the community should be hampered in anyway,” he said.