Crime on the rise in a small South African town that has just four working police vehicles

Just four of the seven police vehicles assigned to the South African Police Service (SAPS) branch in Postmasburg in the Northern Cape are operational.

This was confirmed during a recent follow-up oversight inspection at the station to assess its vehicle fleet, which was conducted by the Democratic Alliance.

Two of the working vehicles are assigned to detectives, which leaves just two police vehicles available for active patrolling in the town.

The remaining three vehicles allocated to the station are currently awaiting repairs in Upington, over 200 kilometres from Postmasburg.

Two of these vehicles have reportedly been standing in the auxiliary garage for more than four months as maintenance continues to be delayed.

Member of Parliament Ofentse Mokae said there had been no improvement since his last oversight inspection of the station in 2024, which found four of its eight vehicles were operational.

“This is particularly concerning given Police Minister Firoz Cachalia’s recent admission in the NCOP that his department adopted a fleet management strategy in June,” Mokae said.

“This is in addition to the government’s move to an alternative state contract for vehicle repairs.”

The oversight inspection of the station comes as Postmasburg is experiencing a significant increase in the rate of crime.

Where the town was once considered to be a relatively crime-free mining hub, recent years have seen a rise in hijackings, housebreakings, and vehicle theft.

SAPS are also currently investigating the deaths of two men who were stabbed outside a local tavern in the Newtown neighbourhood of Postmasburg.

Mokae said that the lack of visible policing in Postmasburg had created an environment increasingly conducive to crime.

“We cannot afford further delays,” Mokae said. “Police need functioning vehicles to patrol communities, respond to calls, and bring criminals to justice.”

“We need more SAPS vehicles on the roads, and more police officers visible in our communities, to catch and convict criminals, and make our communities safer.”

During a parliamentary question-and-answer session in August, Cachalia admitted that he had not yet seen his Department’s fleet management plan.

Following this, Mokae requested that the plan be presented to the Select Committee on Security and Justice in the next quarter, to which he received a favourable response.