Kempton Park police station: No lights, no electricity, and no functioning generator
Ian Cameron, the chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, said the Kempton Park police station is in a dismal state.
He shared this information following an unannounced oversight visit to the police station, which is at the centre of the murder spree in Ekurhuleni.
In an address to the nation on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the killings of women in Ekurhuleni.
Ramaphosa told South Africans that the issue is receiving attention at the highest level of government and law enforcement.
He added that they have significantly increased visible policing in Ekurhuleni. “These operations will continue for as long as they are required,” Ramaphosa said.
Cameron said that this was not true. “South Africans are told there is a highly visible lockdown underway in Ekurhuleni. I will be blunt, you are lying,” he said.
On Tuesday morning, Cameron conducted an unannounced oversight visit to the Kempton Park South African Police Service. The station was in darkness.
“Inside the Kempton Park SAPS station, there was little to no light, electricity was out, and we were looking for station management.”
“There was no functioning generator. Management says they have been trying to get one for about three years,” he said.
“The promised lockdown was also not evident, and the station had zero access control,” he added.
“In fact, while the power was out, people were roaming freely in and out of different unlocked and open gates and doors.”
Cameron added that even if they wanted to dramatically increase visible policing, it was not possible due to insufficient capacity.
“The fleet is ageing, vehicles spend lengthy periods at garages for repairs, and 27 vehicles have been boarded since 2020. Replacement has not kept pace,” he said.
“This is not a criticism of the members at Kempton Park. They cannot deploy vehicles, equipment or additional personnel they do not have.”
He said that women and communities were promised a major policing response, which has not materialised.
“The government now needs to account for what additional members, vehicles and operational resources have actually been deployed to Kempton Park,” he said.
An unannounced visit to the Tembisa Rabasotho police station that morning revealed the same problems.
“Tembisa SA Police Service has 68 vehicles against a granted fleet of 107, a shortfall of 39,” Cameron said.
“Ten vehicles are currently away for repairs, eight at the Benoni garage and two outsourced.”
“Management told me they can generally deploy only about three visible-policing vehicles per shift.”
He said that the precinct carries a serious violent-crime burden and that detectives are severely overburdened and in desperate need of increased capacity.
“The fixed establishment at the station in no way matches the population size in the area,” he said.
Police station oversight visit photos
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Absolutely another achievement of pure failure in a higly politicised and fractured police force.
The result of the ANC policies of party appiontees and very poor management control and consequences over 32 years.
The public can not expect service delivery protection good relations by these standards and quality of personnel of many in the SAPS .
Not saying much about bribery and the fraud that this service has now became so infamous for. Do not expect things to improve in time soon as the political will , knowledge is only lip service little of substance . The public is mostly on their own fo protection and safety. I feel the honest and hard working pokicemen and women carry a double burden .
This sometimes result in that mobjustice that happens in communities