An unannounced inspection of two Ekurhuleni police stations, Kempton Park and Tembisa SAPS, has exposed gaps in policing capacity. The inspection, conducted by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police Chairperson Ian Cameron, found Kempton Park SAPS without electricity or a functioning generator. The station's management revealed it had applied for a generator about three years ago, but it had still not been delivered. This has created a safety and service-delivery risk for police members and members of the public entering the station.
The inspection also found Tembisa SAPS facing a shortage of detectives, with 71 detectives against an establishment of 81. Station management indicated that only about three visible-policing vehicles were generally available for deployment per shift. Cameron questioned whether enough resources were reaching the stations, particularly in light of the recent murders of women across Ekurhuleni. He emphasized the need for properly resourced investigative capacity to investigate these crimes.
Cameron's visit to Kempton Park and Tembisa SAPS comes two weeks after the government announced that police visibility would be massively increased in the area through Operation Shanela. However, Cameron said there was “zero visible sign” of the additional policing capacity promised by the government. He added that a police station cannot be expected to support a major surge in policing visibility while it cannot reliably keep its lights on.
The vehicle fleet at Kempton Park SAPS was also under pressure, with 27 vehicles boarded since 2020 and one waiting for repairs for 98 working days. Cameron raised questions about the distribution of policing resources, comparing the approximately R2.46 billion allocated to VIP Protection Services in 2026/27 with about R1.614 billion for the SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences environment.
The Gauteng government says the challenges identified at Kempton Park SAPS are not new and have already been raised with the relevant policing structures. Provincial government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said station management had previously raised concerns about infrastructure, equipment, human resources, and the Community Service Centre telephone line.
Premier Panyaza Lesufi said the province had confronted the problems with national, provincial, and local stakeholders. He acknowledged the resource challenges facing the station and emphasized that the focus remained on increasing police visibility, arrests, and investigations. The province pointed to 76 kidnapping cases recorded in Kempton Park between April and June, compared with 48 during the same period last year.
Lesufi welcomed scrutiny and said the challenges were already receiving attention. He emphasized that oversight must be accompanied by an appreciation of what is already being done. The province said intensified operations involving SAPS, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), and other law-enforcement agencies were continuing in Kempton Park, with over 1 000 wanted suspects arrested through operations conducted across Gauteng.
Key points
- The inspection found gaps in policing capacity at Kempton Park and Tembisa SAPS, including a lack of electricity and a shortage of detectives.
- The Gauteng government says the challenges identified are not new and have already been raised with the relevant policing structures.
- The province is continuing intensified operations in Kempton Park, with a focus on increasing police visibility, arrests, and investigations.
