"The province with the worst statistics is the Eastern Cape with 18 out of the 30 stations not even having a working line and with four stations not answering their phone after two minutes.
"This means that people in the Eastern Cape would not be able to get hold of 73% of these 30 SAPS stations in the event they were in imminent danger or were trying to report a crime.
"The Western Cape had the best results with 23 out of 30 stations answering their phones [77%]," Whitield said.
He said other findings of the party's research included:
- Nine of the stations called appears on the top 10 list for murder by station. Six of them either did not answer their phones or did not have a working phone line (66.6%); and
- Nine of the stations called also appear on the top 10 list for rape by station. Six of them also either did not answer their phones or did not have a working phone line (66.6%).
"SAPS is clearly broken and needs to be fixed. If SAPS members are not even able to answer the public's calls, how can it possible effectively fight crime?
"The latest crime statistics confirm how broken SAPS has become with GBV- and children-based crimes on the increase together with many other violent crimes.
"Bheki Cele has shown time after time that he would rather pose for cameras pouring alcohol down drains than trying to fix the basic problems within the police service," he said.
Whitfield said the DA is "sick and tired of seeing the people of South Africa suffer under Cele’s lack of leadership".
He aid the party would march to Cele's office in Pretoria to call for him to go.
newsdesk@sowetan.co.za
'Majority of police stations don't answer calls'
E Cape has the worst statistics, says DA
Image: Gareth Wilson
Research by the DA has revealed how only 44% of police stations across the country answer their phones.
This, the DA's shadow minister of police Andrew Whitfield said was proof that police minister Bheki Cele doesn’t care about the safety of citizens.
"Shockingly, only 44% of the 270 SAPS stations around SA that the DA phoned answered their phones at all.
"Most worryingly, 40% of these 270 SAPS stations had faulty numbers or were not operable and the remaining 15% did not even answer their phones after two minutes of ringing. This means that desperate people in urgent need of their local police are being left to fend for themselves," said Whitfield in a statement on Monday.
"The province with the worst statistics is the Eastern Cape with 18 out of the 30 stations not even having a working line and with four stations not answering their phone after two minutes.
"This means that people in the Eastern Cape would not be able to get hold of 73% of these 30 SAPS stations in the event they were in imminent danger or were trying to report a crime.
"The Western Cape had the best results with 23 out of 30 stations answering their phones [77%]," Whitield said.
He said other findings of the party's research included:
"SAPS is clearly broken and needs to be fixed. If SAPS members are not even able to answer the public's calls, how can it possible effectively fight crime?
"The latest crime statistics confirm how broken SAPS has become with GBV- and children-based crimes on the increase together with many other violent crimes.
"Bheki Cele has shown time after time that he would rather pose for cameras pouring alcohol down drains than trying to fix the basic problems within the police service," he said.
Whitfield said the DA is "sick and tired of seeing the people of South Africa suffer under Cele’s lack of leadership".
He aid the party would march to Cele's office in Pretoria to call for him to go.
newsdesk@sowetan.co.za
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