The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling for the full operationalisation of the Victim Friendly Facility (VFF) at the Kagisho police station in Galeshewe, Kimberley after an oversight inspection revealed a severe lack of resources.
Despite showing a slight decrease in rape, the Kagisho station still ranks in the top 10 provincially, for the highest number of rape cases reported in the fourth quarter for the 2024/2025 financial year. The DA is therefore concerned that the VFF, which is one of three containers previously dumped on the premises, has never been fitted out with furniture. VFFs are meant to provide a safe and supportive environment for victims of sexual offences and domestic violence when giving statements, not a harsh and unfriendly environment.
In addition to the VFF aggravating secondary trauma of rape victims, the unequipped containers force SAPS personnel to carry out their duties in cramped or unfurnished office spaces.
The oversight inspection further exposed insecure and inadequate storage facilities for evidence documents, compromising the safety of SAPS officials and police documents. A lack of maintenance also forces officials and victims to endure extreme hot and cold conditions, affecting the efficiency of law enforcement.
These conditions are not conducive to catching criminals in a precinct that also experiences some of the highest incidents of contact crime and robbery at non-residential premises in the province, with a marked increase in murder too.
The lack of commitment of police management to equip police officers to fight crime, doesn’t match up with the commitment of the SAPS officials stationed at Kagisho police station, who try their best under increasingly difficult circumstances.
The DA has submitted questions to Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, to establish why the VFF has not been adequately equipped, and when we can expect it to comply with required operational standards. We also want to know how maintenance and safety will be bolstered at Kagisho police station.
If we want crime prevention to work, then working conditions of police officers must work too.