Durban - The DA’s oversight visit to Inanda police station which covers an area that recorded the most sexual offences in the last crime statistics was blocked on Wednesday by the acting station commander of the station who refused their oversight request.
DA KZN spokesperson on Community Safety and Liaison Sharon Hoosen, MPL Bradley Singh and various councillors were expected to conduct the visit.
They were also due to visit the uMlazi police station which also recorded a high number of sexual assaults.
At the Inanda police station, DA officials and the media were made to wait before they were officially told that no oversight visit would be conducted.
The Inanda police cluster recorded the highest number of sexual related crimes in South Africa which was revealed during the 2017/18 crime statistics report. Inanda had 330 cases of which 278 were rape.
Their second stop would be uMlazi SAPS which was third highest in the country. At the station, 290 sexual related crimes were recorded and 252 of those cases were rape.
DA MP Sharon Hoosen explains why the DA could not conduct their oversight visit at Inanda SAPS. Video: Thobeka Ngema
Moreover, the station was ranked second highest in the country when it came to rape.
Recently, through a parliamentary question, the DA revealed that there were no rape kits for either adults or children at Inanda SAPS despite the level of crime.
The same question showed that there were only 46 rape kits for adults and none for children at uMlazi SAPS.
The DA’s inspection on Wednesday will seek, amongst others, to establish whether any action has been taken to remedy this unacceptable situation.