SA Minister Orders Audit for Dilapidated Gqeberha Police Barracks

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has ordered an audit and urgent rectification plan for the deteriorating Algoa Park police barracks after finding broken lifts, fire damage, poor maintenance and other serious safety concerns. Standing in the passageway of the Sterrenberg building of the Algoa Park police barracks, Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson looked through the window of a flat that had been gutted by a fire in 2020. Other than the unit's front door being boarded up, no repairs have taken place. The inside of the flat is still scorched, with paint peeling from the walls and the remains of a burnt-out mattress on the floor. The walls in the corridor of the ground floor are still covered in a layer of soot, and melted plastic light fittings droop from the ceiling. "This is a disaster," Macpherson said, seemingly gobsmacked by the state of the barracks. This gutted unit is just one example of how the facility in Nelson Mandela Bay has been left to rot, with no evidence of maintenance despite reports of millions of rand being poured into its upkeep. "What I saw here at Algoa Park is deeply disturbing. This is a residential accommodation for police officers, but what is before us is more a horror show than a place that is fit for human habitation," Macpherson said. The concerns around the two blocks of flats, namely... Read the full story on Daily Maverick . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints, please Contact us . AllAfrica is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing 600 news and information items daily from over 90 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. We operate from Cape Town, Dakar, Abuja, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Washington DC. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.