Petty politics in Dunoon policing

Sino Dokwe, Dunoon

It is a known fact that the Dunoon township is not only isolated, but it is plagued by criminal activities and the police just ignore the community's pleas for help. 

Our Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guarantees us a right to freedom and security of their persons and the tasks of the SA Police Service is to ensure our constitutional rights. 

Some two years ago you requested that the residents of Dunoon "have finally received a mobile police station in their community".

The mobile police station was deployed near the Dunoon taxi rank. 

Just some months later you reported that a mobile police station was removed without any consultation or notice to the community.

The mobile police station was moved to the Dunoon clinic some 2km away from Dunoon.

The closest police station to Dunoon is some 10km away. 

Myself and other members of the community have since April 2025 done some spot checks on the capacity of this mobile police station at the Dunoon clinic.

Shockingly it seems that the satellite mobile is rarely open and remains locked.

No office hours or cellphone emergency numbers appear on the mobile station.

We all know that where justice is delayed, justice is denied. 

Some months ago I visited the mobile police station with a member of parliament and the Western Cape police minister and found that, not only was the satellite station abandoned at 2pm, but that the door of the mobile station was not locked and that the police official stamps were clearly visible and could have been stolen or used for criminal activities. 

Our vulnerable community in Dunoon seeks urgent answers and solutions, and the SA Police Service's silence is deafening. Please help. 

Provincial police spokesman Colonel Andrè Traut responds: Kindly be advised that the provincial commissioner of the Western Cape has initiated an investigation into the matter, which is still in progress.

Once the process is finalised and circumstances allow, this office will be in a better position to provide further clarity on the issue. In the meantime, SAPS wishes to assure the Milnerton community that accessibility to policing services remains a top priority, and efforts are underway to address the concerns raised in this regard.

Further be advised that the mobile Community Service Centre is currently fully functional and static at the Dunoon clinic.