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SAPS head office in Pretoria declared 'unfit for human use' and evacuated

Details

sapsNews24 reports that the national head office of the SA Police Service (SAPS) in Pretoria was closed after it was "declared unfit for human use". However according to the police, the building’s temporary closure will not affect core policing.

According to trade union Solidarity, the Telkom Towers building in the CBD was evacuated on Tuesday following an inspection by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL). "Solidarity's Occupational Health and Safety Division, together with an inspector from the Department of Labour, paid a visit to the head office at the so-called Telkom Towers, which was bought and renovated eight years ago by the police for nearly R900 million," Solidarity's Helgard Cronjé indicated. After the inspection, the DEL issued an immediate notice of improvement. The visit followed numerous complaints and unanswered letters to the divisional commissioner of the police's legal services. "Among these complaints were claims of respiratory illnesses and allergic reactions, presumably due to dirty office space and poor ventilation, and workers also complained of dirty carpets and problems with lice and cockroaches," said Cronjé. According to Solidarity's Renate Pieterse, the building will only be able to be reopened after a certificate of occupancy has been issued, and an inspection by the fire brigade has also been carried out. In a statement, the police said that following a prohibition notice, national police commissioner Fannie Masemola instructed all personnel to vacate the building, as the well-being and safety of employees was the primary concern of police management.

  • Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Alex Mitchley at News24
  • Sien ook, Foto’s: Polisie se vuil hoofkantoor ontruim, ongeskik verklaar, by Maroela Media
  • Read Solidarity’s press statement in regard to this matter at Polity


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