‘Please send inspectors to more police stations,’ police members implore

29 February 2024

Since yesterday, Solidarity has been receiving more and more complaints from members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) who also believe their own police stations are not fit for human occupation – and in some cases they believe that these police stations are in an even worse neglected state than the national head office of the SAPS. 

The severely damaged head office at Telkom Towers in Pretoria had to be evacuated in haste and locked on Tuesday afternoon. This took place after an inspection was carried out by the Department of Employment and Labour, together with Solidarity's department for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).

During the inspection, the wrecked condition of the head office was exposed, characterised by dirty and contaminated offices and bathrooms, a lack of ventilation and clean drinking water, as well as broken lifts and deficient fire-fighting equipment. 

According to Johan Böning, head of Solidarity’s OHS division, earnest pleadings for similar inspections are coming from all over – mainly from SAPS members who are at their wits’ end with SAPS management. 

“These calls are coming from members of the police who are desperate to see an improvement in their own facilities and circumstances. We are also hearing from members who have been targeted or threatened by management when they dared to report defects at facilities. 

“Many of these members are desperate and they doubt whether things will ever be set right again. Therefore, they were just so relieved to hear about the actions at such a place as Telkom Towers – even though it is unfortunate that this did not take place at the police’s behest,” Böning said. 

Meanwhile, the SAPS said in a statement that its decision to evacuate the Telkom Towers building was taken due to concern for the employees’ well-being and safety. 

“We would like to thank the Department of Employment and Labour for taking action. After all, they are the ones who have the statutory power to do this,” Böning said.

Solidarity did learn that employees re-entered the evacuated head office yesterday, less than 24 hours after the mandatory evacuation. The building then had to be evacuated anew by order of the National Police Commissioner.

The SAPS head office is certainly not the only dilapidated beacon of state decay either. 

The headquarters of the South African Air Force had to be evacuated and closed this week as well – also after an inspection by the Department of Employment and Labour during which conditions were discovered that are a threat to employees' health.

Issued by Johan Boning, Head: Occupational Health and Safety Division, 29 February 2024