THIEVES STEAL COFIMVABA COP STATION UNDER OFFICERS’ NOSES!

The vandalized Cofimvaba police station has left people with more questions.

A R26 061 212.45 project to house the police specialized unit in Cofimvaba has been vandalized after years of neglect. This is despite three contractors doing the work in 14 years.

The building has since been stripped by vandals. Geysers and windows have been removed and some windows smashed, while doors have been stolen.

This happens metres away from the police station. According to residents, the specialised unit would have brought relief to the residents of Cofimvaba, an area facing a high crime rate.

Situation in Cofimvaba is bad. “Crime is high

Cofimvaba resident Pamella Magaqa said the situation in Cofimvaba is bad. “Crime is high and we have a structure here in Slovo.

After it was built , it was ignored. The criminals vandalised it, taking laptops, air-conditioners, windows and doors,” she said.

Magaqa said the building was vandalised by criminals.

“The structure is in a bad condition. Now we see the fence is done, but we don’t know what is happening at the moment,” she said.

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

She said they were hoping that the TRT unit that they were promised to come to Cofimvaba would be here by now.

We really need assistance

“It’s been two years since they installed the wall and razor wire. We really need assistance in that project as we are facing a lot of crime in the area,” said Magaqa.

Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said the South African Police Service (SAPS) is aware of a vandalised structure in Cofimvaba, which is earmarked for a specialised unit, not a standard police station.

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

“The process of renovation is underway and currently the structure has a boundary wall, and it is guarded.

The structure in Cofimvaba is one part of a broader challenge

“The structure in Cofimvaba is one part of a broader challenge the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) faced with construction project delays, and subsequent property stripping by vandals,” said Gantana.

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

A report on infrastructure and capital works projects dated December 2024 stated the park homes for TRT and cluster office were completed with no fencing and they were vandalised, and poor workmanship caused cracks to the slabs and other park homes were sinking.

A contractor has been appointed

“A contractor has been appointed to fence the entire site and on site fencing the site. The second phase will be to repair the parkhomes,” read the report.

DPWI spokesman Thami Mchunu said the project’s first contract was awarded on the 2011/06/14, and terminated on the 2014/10/27, due to poor performance by the contractor, at 50% physical progress.

“The second contractor started in 2016 an intervention project was procured, to make holding cells functional and also to attend to minor corrective works like tiling, ceilings and electrical works (that was left partially complete by the main contractor, after a struggle to finalize the Final Account of the original Project, due non co-operation by the terminated contractor).”

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

“This challenge also affected finalisation of Final Account for contract 2. Due to in-experience by the contractor who was not used to projects that have involvement of consultants, critical records required for Final Account were not in order.

This work was under R 500 000.00 in order to fast track procurement,” Mchunu said.

A third contractor was appointed

He said a third contractor was appointed for intervention measures – installation of gates and repairing of fencing and was awarded on the 02/03/2023, and completed on the 25/05/2023.

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

“The other delays to procure replacement contract were also caused by circulars like the centralisation of SCM delegations to Head Office in 2016/2017.

Departmental Moratorium to procure on planned maintenance in 2017/2018, 2018/2019 the project was not included in the procurement plan,” he said.

Mchunu said the other challenges that followed relate to difficulties to have the suspense account approved due to the fact that the completion costs exceeded the original costs due to remedial works that need to be done over and above the outstanding works.

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

Photo: Tembile Sgqolana

“Other factor relates to delays to conclude recovery of debt application due to clarities that were required by Legal Services.

There was no Security Company appointed by DPWI subsequent to termination of the contractor, during construction, the contractor was responsible to guard their own Works,” he said.

Mchunu said the project manager is in the process of sourcing Funding for the completion of the works through the DPWI Budget Committee, on receipt of such, the project timelines will be clearly established.