Central SA
Police fleet stuck in repairs, hampering service delivery─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 12:57 Thu, 20 Mar 2025
A significant number of police vehicles in the Free State remain out of service, awaiting repairs and maintenance.
In response to a written question from FF Plus MP Wouter Wessels, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu revealed that 25% of the required police vehicles in Fezile Dabi District are unavailable, severely affecting service delivery.
In Mangaung, at least 3% of police vehicles are out of operation, while Thabo Mofutsanyana has a 1% shortfall. Minister Mchunu attributed the shortages to vehicles booked in for servicing, mechanical repairs, and panel beating.
The lack of operational police vehicles in the Free State is not new. In 2022, the issue made headlines, prompting an oversight visit by the then MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, William Bulwane.
During a visit to Kutlwanong Police Station in Odendaalsrus, officers reported that many vehicles had been awaiting repairs for months. Some needed only a battery replacement, others new tires, and one lacked functional blue lights.
As a result, residents were often left stranded, unable to rely on timely police responses.
Months later, over a hundred police vehicles were handed over to police stations across the province, but ongoing shortages continue to hamper policing efforts.
