FOR more than three years, workers at this police station have had to live with kak in the air.
The unpleasant smell of a blocked sewer and overflowing toilets has even affected the health of workers at Bekkersdal Police Station in Gauteng.
Making matters worse, the Department of Public Works says it’s the responsibility of the South African Police Service (SAPS) to fix the problem, but SAPS says it doesn’t have the budget.
According to cops at the station, municipal workers no longer attend to the problem.
“We call them, but they don’t come.
“It’s hard to work under these conditions,” said a cop.
“We also think the pipes are old and cannot handle the pressure any more.”
Residents have also complained of the smell whenever they visit the police station.
A resident said: “The smell is too much. Some people go to Randfontein Police Station to report their cases instead of coming here.”
A woman cop said she had to go to nearby houses to use the toilet.
Another cop said: “We just go to a nearby veld to pee. There’s nothing we can do.”
Police spokesman Captain Mavela Masondo said he would look into the matter.
Phillip Montshiwa, spokesman of the Rand West City Local Municipality, said due to Bekkersdal’s ageing sewer infrastructure and the area being crowded by squatter camps, this causes the recurring sewer spillages and blockages that also affect the local police station.
“The Department of Human Settlements has appointed a consultant and contractor for the project of sewer system upgrade and reconstruction in Bekkersdal to deal with these challenges,” he said.
Montshiwa said the municipality has also appointed a panel of contractors to deal with blockages and spillages in Bekkersdal.
“When Bekkersdal police station is blocked, we go and unblock it we give it a priority like clinics, schools.
“We prioritise it like clinics and schools,” he said.
