DG-Led Oversight Visit Identifies Safety, Infrastructure Gaps

Athlone: Safety and infrastructure challenges affecting schools, police stations, and victim support facilities were pointed out as areas of concern during a Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster Directors-General-led oversight visit in Athlone, Heideveld, and Mitchells Plain on Monday. The visit in the Western Cape, conducted as part of the Directors-General Programme, included inspections of Belgravia Secondary School, Athlone Police Station, Athlone Magistrates' Court, Thuthuzela Care Centres in Heideveld and Mitchells Plain, and a walkabout in the Marikana informal settlement. According to South African Government News Agency, at Belgravia Secondary School, officials were briefed on crime-related challenges linked to inadequate perimeter fencing and the school's proximity to a nearby informal settlement. The lack of a secure fence has rendered the school's sports ground unusable, with learners reportedly accessing drugs through breaches in the perimeter fence. Lieutenant Colonel Ronel Els from the National Operations Command Centre (NOCC) in Pretoria highlighted the absence of proper infrastructure impacting learner safety and school activities, noting that intervention from relevant departments was required. An oversight visit to Athlone Police Station highlighted space constraints at the Community Service Centre, including the lack of private areas for victims to report cases and the need to upgrade the victim-friendly room. Officials also visited the Athlone Magistrates' Court to assess court operations, followed by inspections of Thuthuzela Care Centres in Heideveld and Mitchells Plain. The delegation is expected to focus further attention on Mitchells Plain during follow-up engagements. The programme concluded with a walkabout at the Marikana informal settlement and a media workshop on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) sensitivity reporting, ahead of a radio panel discussion involving members of the JCPS Cluster.