Five new state of the art police stations have been opened in KwaZulu-Natal.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) said this is aimed at improving communitys access to policing services.
The National Minister of Police Bheki Cele officially opened the stations in Gamalakhe, Donnybrook, Melmoth, KwaDabhazi and eManguzi recently.
Police ministry spokesperson Lirandzu Themba said the effective use of the police stations is set to translate to improved police response times and enable the SAPS to deliver a professional and effective service, while responding to the needs of communities.
More police stations translate to increased footprint of the SAPS, especially in rural areas which are often far-flung from government services.
Police said the opening of the eManguzi police station on Friday comes weeks after the signing of a Joint Action Plan between South Africa and Mozambique, to strengthen policing actions to combat transnational organised crime.
The Joint Action Plan was signed on April 9, 2024, following bilateral meetings between the two countries, led by Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele and the Minister of Interior of the Republic of Mozambique, General Pedro Ronda.
During his address Cele, called on communities to continue to work with police to rid the area of crime, saying the police station will also serve as a meeting point for both South African and Mozambican law enforcement as they continue to implement the Joint Action Plan on cross border crimes.
The police ministry said it was certain both countries will continue to demonstrate commitment to the agreed policing efforts, aimed at decisively dealing with transnational crimes and will continue to work with other regional partners to combat all crimes that threaten the stability of the region.
