Cape Town - The community of Makhaza have yet to welcome their “temporary” police station following a successful site handover by police to the appointed construction company.
The fabricated steel manufacturing company is expected to submit a project budget within the next two weeks.
Felix Clemons from the construction company said construction would begin shortly after their budget is approved by national police.
“We tendered for a term contract. This will be the first police station we put up in terms of this contract, but we have done so many in the past. This will be a temporary police station. We need to provide a budget for the project within the next two weeks and once it is approved we can start on site with site works and consultation,” he said.
Ward councillor Lucky Mbiza welcomed the development, highlighting the community’s struggles with a high crime rate.
Mbiza said the Makhaza community is depending on a mobile police station with limited services. Their normal working hours are from 8am till 6pm.
“The crime rate in this area is very high,” he said.
He cited a current case where the occupants of a car were robbing people walking in the street at gunpoint, or breaking into their homes while they were at work, stealing their valuables.
“As the community we fought hard for this police station; it has been more than 10 years. Currently we are depending on a mobile police station but from 6pm it does not really serve the purpose because after that time people get assisted while standing outside the fence,” said Mbiza.
Chairperson of the Khayelitsha Development Forum, Ndithini Tyhido said: “This is an exciting moment for us. Finally the community of Makhaza will get what is due to them.
“This is the first phase where they are going to put up prefabricated structures, and all we are saying is (that doesn’t matter) for as long as there will be police services happening in Makhaza that will deal with rape, murder and house break-in rates that are forever increasing, simply because there is no police contact point.”