MINISTER MACPHERSON INTERVENES TO ADDRESS DECAYING ALGOA PARK POLICE BARRACKS
GQEBERHA – Following an intensive oversight push, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has secured a commitment from National Government to address the severe decay and structural failure at the Algoa Park police barracks in Gqeberha.
The breakthrough comes after a formal request for urgent intervention was submitted to the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), Dean Macpherson, by DA Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate, Retief Odendaal.
Appalling Conditions Exposed
The intervention was triggered by an oversight inspection conducted on 3 June 2026, by Odendaal alongside DA Eastern Cape Provincial Leader Andrew Whitfield, MP, and Provincial Chairperson Yusuf Cassim, MPL.
The inspection of the 12-storey residential blocks on 6th Avenue revealed living conditions deemed completely unfit for human habitation.
Law enforcement officials living in the facility have been subjected to:
Severe Infrastructure Collapse: Entirely inoperable elevators, dark corridors due to vandalized lighting, and missing windows on every single floor.
Health and Safety Risks: Heavy structural damage to garages from past fires and widespread, rat-infested piles of uncollected garbage.
Total Security Failure: Missing security perimeter gates and an entirely unmanned guardhouse, leaving residents highly vulnerable to escalating criminal trespass and vehicle break-ins.
The facility's rapid decline had previously been locked in an administrative gridlock, with the DPWI and the South African Police Service (SAPS) pointing fingers at one another over who was legally responsible for the property's day-to-day upkeep.
National Government Demands 10-Day Turnaround
In an official written response issued on 8 July 2026, Minister Macpherson broke the bureaucratic deadlock. The Minister acknowledged the severe risk the crumbling infrastructure poses to its inhabitants and broader SAPS operations.
Macpherson confirmed that he has officially instructed the DPWI’s Regional Office to dispatch a specialized task team to the Algoa Park facility. The team is mandated to conduct a comprehensive structural and logistical assessment and table a formal report to his office within 10 business days.
Upon receiving the audit, the Minister has committed to releasing the findings alongside a concrete, joint action plan to restore the buildings.
A Push for Local Accountability
While the DPWI serves as the overarching custodian of state-owned properties, day-to-day hygiene, minor maintenance, and operational security remain the direct legislative responsibility of the client department—the SAPS. Odendaal noted that the DA is still awaiting a formal response from the Acting Minister of Police regarding the internal measures SAPS intends to take to clean up the facility.
The DA has pledged to maintain aggressive oversight on the implementation of Minister Macpherson's assessment to guarantee it yields sustainable, long-term maintenance rather than a temporary patch-up job.
Looking ahead to local governance strategies, Odendaal stated that a DA-led administration in Nelson Mandela Bay will implement a zero-tolerance stance on derelict buildings.
The plan involves fully restoring the local Problem Buildings Task Team, tightening municipal by-law enforcement, and launching a dedicated Metro Police Problem Buildings Unit to hold both negligent private landlords and government entities to identical public standards.
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