WRACK AND RUIN: Ball in SAPS’s court over R38m Gqeberha police flats fix

The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, has heard the calls about the deteriorating state of the Algoa Park police barracks in Gqeberha. But the police will have to make the funds available for repairs.

News of the deplorable state of the Algoa Park police barracks in Nelson Mandela Bay has finally reached the right people, but restoring the accommodation complex will not happen overnight.

In his response to local DA officials, who brought the deteriorating condition of the two blocks of police flats to his attention, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said initial estimates for the extensive repairs could run just shy of R38-million.

“The assessment has confirmed that both the Gamtoos and Sterrenberg residential blocks have deteriorated significantly and require substantial refurbishment.

“I regard the present condition of these facilities as unacceptable, particularly given that they provide residential accommodation to SAPS personnel and their families.

“My office will continue to monitor the matter and the engagement with SAPS to ensure that the necessary refurbishment is progressed as soon as the funding requirements have been resolved,” Macpherson’s letter read.

Macpherson’s letter, addressed to the DA’s mayoral candidate in Nelson Mandela Bay, Retief Odendaal, came two months after Odendaal and some high-ranking political colleagues conducted an oversight visit to the flats next to the Algoa Park police station.

While the situation at the barracks has been a topic for some time, conditions have declined drastically in recent months, to the point where it has become unsafe.

Rat infestations, broken lifts and electrical infrastructure, prolonged water outages, non-operational fire hydrants and a complete lack of any security measures – including a front door – were just some of the concerns raised with Macpherson after the oversight visit.

“Our concerns stretch beyond the condition of the buildings. Neighbouring residents contacted us about the unsavoury characters seen coming and going from the property meant to house police officials.

“During our visit, we spoke to police members who live there, and they see all kinds of people, who they know are not employed by the SAPS, living in these flats.

“The flats have been hijacked by people not authorised to be there. It has become a safety concern for the neighbouring public as well as the police members living there, and it is doing irreparable damage to the reputation of the police in that area,” Odendaal said.

He welcomed the minister’s response and said any action at the facility would be a step in the right direction.

In the weeks following Odendaal’s letter to Macpherson, the minister responded by saying he would delegate a team from the regional Public Works offices to conduct assessments at the flats and provide feedback within 10 days. He missed that deadline.