Dear Editor
The DA in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has written to the Select Committee on Security and Justice, Chairperson, Ms Jane Mananiso MP, demanding urgent oversight into the state of outdated technology infrastructure crippling policing in KwaZulu-Natal.
This follows an oversight engagement I conducted with the KZN NCOP delegation and SAPS provincial management in Durban, where shocking deficiencies in technology infrastructure were revealed.
The SAPS presentation laid bare that:
- Many rural police stations still rely on legacy satellite systems, unsuitable for modern policing needs;
- The radio communication system remains analogue, requiring urgent digital migration;
- End-of-life computers, laptops, and old docket scanners are still in use;
- Network bandwidth is inadequate at numerous stations and switching centres;
- 10111 emergency call centres are running on obsolete telephone systems, undermining emergency response times.
These deficiencies are not just technical glitches, they are systemic failures that compromise policing, delay investigations, and put the lives of officers and communities at risk.
The DA has challenged the Select Committee on Security and Justice to step up and:
- Conduct urgent oversight visits to affected SAPS stations and call centres in KwaZulu-Natal;
- Demand a national audit of SAPS tech infrastructure and a clear modernisation plan;
- Secure earmarked budget allocations to fast-track upgrades in rural and high-crime areas.
Parliament cannot turn a blind eye while our police officers fight 21st-century crime with 20th-century tools. The Select Committee must prove it is more than a talk shop by taking real action to support the KZN SAPS in their fight against crime.
The DA will continue to use every parliamentary mechanism available to hold SAPS leadership accountable and ensure that frontline officers have the technology and resources they need to protect our communities.
Regards
Mzamo Billy MP
DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice