President Zuma pays surprise visit to Sunnyside Police Station

On Friday, 19 April 2013, Zuma paid a surprise visit to the Sunnyside Police Station to appraise himself about the levels of service delivery at the station, the conditions under which police officers work, levels and types of criminal activity common in the area as well as the general challenges faced by both the police and the residents of Sunnyside.

Upon arrival, the president interacted with community members who had come to the station for various reasons and the police officers who were assisting them.

Zuma later received a briefing from Lt Colonel Bopape, standing in for the Station Commander, where some of the most commonly reported incidents were highlighted.

Among the most commonly reported incidents in include theft of motor vehicles using remote-controlled deactivating devices, house breaking, robberies where robbers used knives on the victims, the area is reported to be full of people who are selling drugs and the most vulnerable people being students.

It was also reported that 60% of crime is only happening on Robert Sobukwe (Essellen) Street, the busiest and biggest street in the precinct. Sunnyside was reported to being one of the leading areas for property crime as there was no law from the municipality to regulate or combat such criminal activity.

The police also reported to the President that a lot of their work included applications and assessments for firearm possession, affidavits, photocopying, verifying and certifying documents as well as the normal police work which reportedly gets busier on weekends.

The police station is being assisted by many young volunteers, who made the work of the police easier and service delivery better.

"I have seen it for myself the type of challenges faced by this station, which is among the busiest in the Tshwane municipal area. I was particularly encouraged by the work of the volunteers and after listening to them, I will raise the matter of their being somehow reimbursed by the state or indeed the whole issue of the much needed resources to the station with the national commissioner and the minister of police," said President Zuma.

Police management, officers and community members thanked the president for visiting their precinct and appealed to him to do more visits and to other police stations in the Tshwane Municipality.