Donnybrook, KwaZulu-Natal

Harry Gwala District Mayor, Councillor Zamo Nxumalo

Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Mayor, Councillor Sindisiwe Msomi

National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Masemola

Divisional Commissioner Technology Management Services, Lt Gen Mavundla

KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Makhoba

Heads of entities present

Community Policing Forum representatives

All members of the SAPS

Community leaders and community members present

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning to all of you gathered here today.

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you here at the Donnybrook Police Station as we forge ahead with our response to community needs when it comes to Police Services. This Police Station is a beacon of hope for the community in the fight against crime.

We are happy that this Police Station is here to serve you and that it is well capacitated with adequate staff members and other resources needed to fight crime and ensure all people in and around this policing precinct are and feel safe. The SAPS is hard at work to build more Police Stations across the country to ensure we arrive at a time in the foreseeable future where people can just simply walk to their nearest Police Station to access services. It is our hope that with this police station, the SAPS will be in a better position to accelerate service delivery, informed by the needs to of the community because we are here to serve you.

For this reason, we continue to ensure greater access and improvement in the quality of Policing Services. To give effect to this, the SAPS is committed to align its service delivery programmes in accordance with provisions of Section 205 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, which states the objectives of the SAPS are to prevent, combat and investigate crime; maintain public order; protect and secure inhabitants of South Africa and their property; and uphold and enforce the law.

This Police Station is indeed adequately capacitated to accelerate the fight against crime and uphold the highest standards of law enforcement in the community. This the station has adequate capacity when it comes to members in within Visible Policing. The Detectives in this station are highly experienced professionals who are committed to work together with yourselves as community members to ensure those who have no regard for the rule of law are brought to book to face the music.

The SAPS’ plans to recruit yet another 10 000 new Police Officers for this year are at an advanced stage, and it is envisaged that as the 10 000 new Police Officers who will graduate from various SAPS colleges later in the year, some of them will be allocated to this Police Station to bolster efforts in the fight against crime.

We therefore call upon all communities to work together with this station to ensure together, we win the fight crime by enhancing our partnership with for safer communities. To Police Officers in this station, we thank you for your dedicated service to serve the community.  With that said, always remember that you are first line of defence. Continue to abide by the SAPS Code of Conduct to achieve a safe and secure environment for the community. Remember to always act with integrity, render a responsible and effective service of high quality which is accessible to every person and continuously strive towards improving this service. As per the SAPS Code of Conduct, utilize all the available resources responsibly, efficiently and cost-effectively to maximise their use.

With those few words, we thank you for your presence here today as you bear witness to this momentous occasion as we officially open the Donnybrook Police Station.

I thank you!