Police in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, have been served notice to vacate a building they have occupied since 2005.
The police have been using the premises of the former Mapulaneng College of Education because their own police station is run-down.
Now the provincial education department has given the police until March 1 to move out of the college so that it can be converted into a multipurpose centre.
“The department of education has issued an instruction that police must vacate their premises before March 1. We are not happy because we don’t have a police station at the moment,” said provincial police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Hlathi on Wednesday.
Hlathi said there was not enough time for police to renovate the dilapidated building, which is next to Mapulaneng Hospital.
He said the correctional services department has therefore been asked to provide parolees to do the renovations.
Senior correctional officer at the Bushbuckridge Correctional Service Centre, Chris Nonyane, said the parolees would start working on Thursday.
“We have asked the parolees to work as it is part of the community work they do and because they have skills to get the job done,” said Nonyane.
In the mean time, the department of public works, roads and transport has prioritised the construction of five police stations in the province, with Bushbuckridge being the first.
The Mapulaneng College of Education is due to be converted into a multi-purpose centre.
Provincial education department spokesman Jasper Zwane was not available for comment on Wednesday
February 22, 2012
News