In Conversation With Dr Bandile Masuku (ICT)
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Serious concerns around policing infrastructure, operational capacity, and crime control in Gauteng have once again come under scrutiny following an oversight visit by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Community Safety to the Pretoria West Police Station.
The Committee says it uncovered alarming conditions at the station, including severe infrastructure problems, outdated ICT systems, fragmented operations, and growing criminal activity within the precinct itself.
One of the most concerning findings was that the station currently operates from three separate office buildings, creating major operational difficulties around coordination, communication, command structures, and emergency response. The Committee argues that this fragmented setup directly weakens the station’s ability to combat crime effectively in an area already experiencing high levels of criminal activity.
The oversight visit also revealed that officers are working with outdated computers and unreliable network systems that delay case processing, disrupt access to policing databases, and slow down administrative and investigative work.
At the same time, Pretoria West residents continue to face escalating concerns around hijackings, kidnappings, illegal scrapyards, and hijacked buildings allegedly being used as hubs for criminal activity.
Perhaps most shocking is the Committee’s revelation that a building directly adjacent to the police station itself has reportedly been hijacked — raising difficult questions about police visibility, state authority, and whether law enforcement is losing control in certain urban spaces.
The Committee has now formally called on Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni to urgently intervene and stabilise operations at the station.
The issue speaks to a broader national concern around whether South Africa’s police stations are adequately resourced to deal with increasingly sophisticated and violent crime while officers themselves face infrastructure collapse, staffing shortages, technological failures, and declining public trust.
The Committee says it uncovered alarming conditions at the station, including severe infrastructure problems, outdated ICT systems, fragmented operations, and growing criminal activity within the precinct itself.
One of the most concerning findings was that the station currently operates from three separate office buildings, creating major operational difficulties around coordination, communication, command structures, and emergency response. The Committee argues that this fragmented setup directly weakens the station’s ability to combat crime effectively in an area already experiencing high levels of criminal activity.
The oversight visit also revealed that officers are working with outdated computers and unreliable network systems that delay case processing, disrupt access to policing databases, and slow down administrative and investigative work.
At the same time, Pretoria West residents continue to face escalating concerns around hijackings, kidnappings, illegal scrapyards, and hijacked buildings allegedly being used as hubs for criminal activity.
Perhaps most shocking is the Committee’s revelation that a building directly adjacent to the police station itself has reportedly been hijacked — raising difficult questions about police visibility, state authority, and whether law enforcement is losing control in certain urban spaces.
The Committee has now formally called on Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni to urgently intervene and stabilise operations at the station.
The issue speaks to a broader national concern around whether South Africa’s police stations are adequately resourced to deal with increasingly sophisticated and violent crime while officers themselves face infrastructure collapse, staffing shortages, technological failures, and declining public trust.
