Date: 25/06/2004
Source: Department of Public Works
Title: S Sigcau: Handover of Mabopane Police Station
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS, STELLA SIGCAU, AT THE OFFICIAL HANDING OVER MABOPANE POLICE STATION, Mabopane, 25 June 2004
The Minister of Safety and Security, Mr Charles Nqakula
The MEC for Safety and Liaison in the North West, Ms M Modiselle
The Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Father Mkhatshwa
The National Deputy Commissioner of Police, Commissioner Hlela
The Provincial Commissioner of North West, LE Beetha
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
The upgraded Mabopane Police Station is the third such facility in the past month to be handed-over to the police services by the Department of Public Works. Others were the newly built Mangaung Police Station near Bloemfontein as well as the Tsolo Police Station outside Umtata in the Eastern Cape. This is no coincidence. Rather it is a demonstration of the improved pace of delivery to bring essential services to our people in an effort to fight poverty that is brought by, among other factors, lack of access to these amenities.
In its "Towards a Ten Year Review" report, government noted that one of its main challenges for the next ten years will be to "accelerate the implementation of social programmes that will help prevent crime from taking place, including the Integrated Rural Development, Urban Renewal and Moral Regeneration combined with a better physical living environment". (Page116). The fact that we are opening this project here today is an indication that we are addressing this challenge.
Since 1994, government has been increasingly investing in good quality public buildings and other infrastructure, particularly in historically disadvantaged areas, to improve quality of life of our people and to reverse the effects of apartheid social planning. Innovative precincts such as specialised judiciary courts and one-stop-crime-management centres in the form of Community Safety Centres are now being built in our townships and this momentum is set to grow in the future.
Repeatedly government has called upon civil society to join hands and cooperate with government in delivery of better life for all. This spirit of Vukuzenzele and Letsima was aptly demonstrated by you, the people of Mabopane when you proactively approached government with a view to improve policing in the area.
In response, the Department of Public Works, on behalf of its client, the South African Police Services, spent ten million Rands, including professional fees to literally change the face of this police station and make it modern, accessible and aesthetically more appealing. The design philosophy emphasised the reuse of existing structures wherever possible to enable savings, whilst ensuring that the new police station would meet the requirements of the SAPS.
The site was handed over to the contractors on the 19th of October 2001 with a condition that the reduced SAPS contingency would remain on site to give the public of Mabopane an uninterrupted service. The rest of the Mabopane Police Station was moved off to the Odi Base for the duration of the contract.
It took ten months for the professional team to finalise the design of the new Mabopane Police Station, which included four new prison cells and a community room for public meetings. The existing accommodation was also upgraded an additional one thousand one hundred and eighty seven square meters of offices and walkways were added. External work comprised of:
* A pound for 180 vehicles;
* Open parking for 35 vehicles;
* Covered parking for 26 vehicles;
* An emergency generator; and
* Internal access roads.
During the construction period, a delay was experienced given the unsatisfactory progress at the time. Contractors had to be changed in order to expedite the completion of the project. Despite setbacks such as these, my Department remains committed to Black Economic Empowerment. For several years we have been implementing and Emerging Contractor Development Programme aimed at developing small black contractors. This year we will also start implementing an incubator programme aimed at developing medium-sized black contractors, and improving their ability to successfully and profitably complete projects such as this police station.
As we celebrate the decade of democracy and freedom, it is important to note that the Department of Public Works has spent over ten billion Rands in the last ten years to plan and implement seven thousand six hundred and ninety two construction projects as part of its core function to provide physical accommodation to government and its departments.
In 2003/2004, the Department of Public Works spent three hundred and twelve million Rand in the provision of infrastructure for the South African Police Services, including repairs and maintenance.
The Department of Public Works is currently planning and implementing nine hundred and seventy capital works projects on behalf of its major clients including Correctional Services, South African Police Services, Justice, Arts and Culture and the Department of Defence. One hundred and sixty two of these projects are in the North West Province. Over the next three years, seven hundred and sixty million Rands will be spent on two hundred and fifty contracts for the Police Services, of which seventeen million Rand is committed to capital works projects and nine million Rands for planned maintenance projects for the SAPS in the North West Province.
In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about the importance of cooperative governance. My department, the National Department of Public Works, is responsible for the construction, maintenance and overall management of essential public buildings including police stations, magistrate courts, prisons and other military infrastructure. In the process of doing that, my Department has to work very closely with its client departments and with other spheres of government. For example, it is the responsibility of local government to supply services such as water, electricity and refuse removal to this police station. The municipality imposes rates on the land on which these buildings stand, and charges my Department for the services, which it provides. We, in turn duly pay for these taxes and services, and by doing this we help to ensure that your local government has the financial resources it needs to provide services to you. By carrying out this work for the Police Service, we also enable the police to focus on their core function of providing policing services to this community.
On that note, it is my honour to hand over the keys of the building to the Minister of Safety and Security, Mr Charles Nqakula.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Public Works
25 June 2004
Source: Department of Public Works
Title: S Sigcau: Handover of Mabopane Police Station
SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS, STELLA SIGCAU, AT THE OFFICIAL HANDING OVER MABOPANE POLICE STATION, Mabopane, 25 June 2004
The Minister of Safety and Security, Mr Charles Nqakula
The MEC for Safety and Liaison in the North West, Ms M Modiselle
The Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Father Mkhatshwa
The National Deputy Commissioner of Police, Commissioner Hlela
The Provincial Commissioner of North West, LE Beetha
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
The upgraded Mabopane Police Station is the third such facility in the past month to be handed-over to the police services by the Department of Public Works. Others were the newly built Mangaung Police Station near Bloemfontein as well as the Tsolo Police Station outside Umtata in the Eastern Cape. This is no coincidence. Rather it is a demonstration of the improved pace of delivery to bring essential services to our people in an effort to fight poverty that is brought by, among other factors, lack of access to these amenities.
In its "Towards a Ten Year Review" report, government noted that one of its main challenges for the next ten years will be to "accelerate the implementation of social programmes that will help prevent crime from taking place, including the Integrated Rural Development, Urban Renewal and Moral Regeneration combined with a better physical living environment". (Page116). The fact that we are opening this project here today is an indication that we are addressing this challenge.
Since 1994, government has been increasingly investing in good quality public buildings and other infrastructure, particularly in historically disadvantaged areas, to improve quality of life of our people and to reverse the effects of apartheid social planning. Innovative precincts such as specialised judiciary courts and one-stop-crime-management centres in the form of Community Safety Centres are now being built in our townships and this momentum is set to grow in the future.
Repeatedly government has called upon civil society to join hands and cooperate with government in delivery of better life for all. This spirit of Vukuzenzele and Letsima was aptly demonstrated by you, the people of Mabopane when you proactively approached government with a view to improve policing in the area.
In response, the Department of Public Works, on behalf of its client, the South African Police Services, spent ten million Rands, including professional fees to literally change the face of this police station and make it modern, accessible and aesthetically more appealing. The design philosophy emphasised the reuse of existing structures wherever possible to enable savings, whilst ensuring that the new police station would meet the requirements of the SAPS.
The site was handed over to the contractors on the 19th of October 2001 with a condition that the reduced SAPS contingency would remain on site to give the public of Mabopane an uninterrupted service. The rest of the Mabopane Police Station was moved off to the Odi Base for the duration of the contract.
It took ten months for the professional team to finalise the design of the new Mabopane Police Station, which included four new prison cells and a community room for public meetings. The existing accommodation was also upgraded an additional one thousand one hundred and eighty seven square meters of offices and walkways were added. External work comprised of:
* A pound for 180 vehicles;
* Open parking for 35 vehicles;
* Covered parking for 26 vehicles;
* An emergency generator; and
* Internal access roads.
During the construction period, a delay was experienced given the unsatisfactory progress at the time. Contractors had to be changed in order to expedite the completion of the project. Despite setbacks such as these, my Department remains committed to Black Economic Empowerment. For several years we have been implementing and Emerging Contractor Development Programme aimed at developing small black contractors. This year we will also start implementing an incubator programme aimed at developing medium-sized black contractors, and improving their ability to successfully and profitably complete projects such as this police station.
As we celebrate the decade of democracy and freedom, it is important to note that the Department of Public Works has spent over ten billion Rands in the last ten years to plan and implement seven thousand six hundred and ninety two construction projects as part of its core function to provide physical accommodation to government and its departments.
In 2003/2004, the Department of Public Works spent three hundred and twelve million Rand in the provision of infrastructure for the South African Police Services, including repairs and maintenance.
The Department of Public Works is currently planning and implementing nine hundred and seventy capital works projects on behalf of its major clients including Correctional Services, South African Police Services, Justice, Arts and Culture and the Department of Defence. One hundred and sixty two of these projects are in the North West Province. Over the next three years, seven hundred and sixty million Rands will be spent on two hundred and fifty contracts for the Police Services, of which seventeen million Rand is committed to capital works projects and nine million Rands for planned maintenance projects for the SAPS in the North West Province.
In conclusion, I would like to say a few words about the importance of cooperative governance. My department, the National Department of Public Works, is responsible for the construction, maintenance and overall management of essential public buildings including police stations, magistrate courts, prisons and other military infrastructure. In the process of doing that, my Department has to work very closely with its client departments and with other spheres of government. For example, it is the responsibility of local government to supply services such as water, electricity and refuse removal to this police station. The municipality imposes rates on the land on which these buildings stand, and charges my Department for the services, which it provides. We, in turn duly pay for these taxes and services, and by doing this we help to ensure that your local government has the financial resources it needs to provide services to you. By carrying out this work for the Police Service, we also enable the police to focus on their core function of providing policing services to this community.
On that note, it is my honour to hand over the keys of the building to the Minister of Safety and Security, Mr Charles Nqakula.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Public Works
25 June 2004
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