Durban -The IFP has noted with concern reports that police in KZN are faced with vehicle shortages.
This follows statistics from the Police Ministry in response to the DA’s query indicating that KwaZulu has the highest shortage of police vehicles, with 26.8% of policing vehicles inoperable or broken and 19.5% of detective vehicles inoperable or broken.
Blessed Gwala, IFP KZN provincial spokesperson for Community Safety and Liaison, said the role of police officers in any society is worthy of appreciation.
“The government seems to be failing them. Vehicle shortages could also lead to dissatisfaction in communities, as such results in police struggling to reach crime scenes and arriving late at the scene.”
Gwala added that police need state-of-the-art equipment to perform their duties diligently and effectively to combat crime.
“Combining prevention, deterrence and enforcement will give the brave women and men in our police service and criminal justice system the tools they need to keep people out of trouble, and to punish those who persist in breaking the law.”
Gwala said keeping citizens safe is non-negotiable.
“The IFP believes that under-resourced and dilapidated police stations in KZN will make it impossible to win the war against crime. During the 2022 KZN Legislature’s Police Stations’ Functionality Monitoring Programme, the shocking state of police stations were revealed. Some SAPS stations in KZN do not have any vehicles or police officers to respond to crime.”
Gwala said such issues deserve urgent attention from the relevant authorities.
“Government must ensure that police receive fully operational vehicles, as well as establish means of intervention to address challenges, such as police vehicles taking longer than expected in police garages for repairs.”
Gwala added that the shortage of police vehicles is a serious concern, and police must be provided with necessary support.