NQWEBA – The holding cells at Nqweba Police Station, formerly known as Kirkwood Police Station, have been condemned since 2018 and remain out of operation, with no firm timeline yet provided for their restoration.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, Captain Marius McCarthy, confirmed that the holding cells were condemned by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) in 2018.

McCarthy said a request for a condition assessment and cost analysis of the Nqweba station was sent to the DPWI in July 2026.

“The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, as the legal custodians of state property, is handling the procurement and appointment of specialised contractors,” he said. “Any operational adjustments to the repair timeline are subject to DPWI supply chain procedures.”

The prolonged closure means detainees arrested in the Nqweba policing area must be transferred to neighbouring facilities, including SAPS Addo, which is more than 40km away. McCarthy said SAPS could not provide estimated costs associated with the transfers, citing security and operational considerations.

“SAPS is not at liberty to divulge information on security and logistics, specific budgetary allocations and logistical expenditures regarding tactical vehicle movements, fuel consumption, and individual prisoner escorts,” he said.

He said routine transfers of detainees to neighbouring facilities such as Addo are managed within existing operational budgets and use rostered state vehicles. McCarthy said the transfers do not compromise local visible policing.

Concerns were also raised about the security of detainees while they await transfer to Addo. McCarthy rejected any suggestion that detainees are left unsecured in the Community Service Centre (CSC).

“SAPS categorically refutes any insinuation that detainees are kept unsecured in the Community Service Centre,” he said. “Detainees are processed immediately upon arrest in strict compliance with the Criminal Procedure Act and the SAPS Constitution.”

According to McCarthy, detainees awaiting transfer to fully compliant holding cells at neighbouring stations remain under constant armed police guard. “Their safety, human rights, and security are maintained under strict supervision according to National Detention Regulations,” he said.

Despite the cells having been condemned for eight years, SAPS did not provide a specific date for when they are expected to return to operation.

McCarthy claimed SAPS is working closely with the DPWI to expedite the completion of the project.

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