The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape will closely monitor the delivery of 80 SAPS vehicles between September and October, as confirmed by the Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt Gen Koliswa Otola, following an oversight inspection to the Post Nolloth SAPS station in April.
The oversight inspection revealed that SAPS officials at the Port Nolloth station are under severe pressure due to the poor condition of vehicle fleet, the lack of clear communication mechanisms that affect response times and the absence of a functional tow-truck to support broken down SAPS vehicles.
Of the 12 vehicles available at the station, five have more than 300 000 km on the clock, three have travelled over 200 000 km, four have less than 200 000 km, with only one having travelled less than 50 000 km.
We are also concerned that the only borrowed vehicle from the Kommagas station at the Hondeklip Bay SAPS station, has a flat tyre and has not been functional for some time, threatening the safety of residents in the area.
SAPS vehicles in rural and remote areas are under severe pressure due to the poor conditions of our provincial roads and these conditions are worsened after heavy rains. This situation is compounded by the non-availability of a SAPS tow truck in the Namakwa region. Furthermore, SAPS response time to emergencies in the area is compromised by poor signal. We therefore welcome SAPS’ consideration for using satellite phones as a solution to speed up SAPS’ five-to-15-minute reaction time.
The DA will submit a follow-up question to Otola to query the qualifying criteria of stations that will receive the 80 procured vehicles, with a special interest in the vehicle allocation to the Namakwa region. We also want clarity around the absence of a functional tow truck in the area.
SAPS vehicles have been a sore point for the DA in the Northern Cape for years and we will not rest until every station receives the required quota of fleet necessary to ensure adequate SAPS assistance in emergencies.