Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson is set to conduct an oversight visit to an illegally occupied former police station in Carletonville, part of the department’s Operation Bring Back initiative aimed at restoring unlawfully occupied government buildings.
The site, which once served the Merafong City community for roughly four decades, operated as a fully equipped police station with proper infrastructure, including cells and other operational facilities. In the early 2000s, it was vacated due to concerns over a suspected sinkhole in the mining town of Carletonville, where such geological risks are common. The building was subsequently abandoned, leading to severe disrepair.
Community members and local observers describe the current state as dilapidated: the structure has no roof, no doors, lacks wiring, and has been stripped of much of its original fittings. It has reportedly become a site of vandalism and illegal occupation, turning what was once a functional public asset into a so-called “white elephant.”
A community leader who spoke at the scene said the abandonment has had direct consequences for residents. With the local police station’s cells no longer available, arrested individuals must be held in facilities in Western Area or Fochville. This has imposed additional financial burdens on families, legal representatives, and the police, who incur extra travel and transport costs. He described the site as a haven for criminals, raising safety concerns due to its proximity to Carletonville Hospital, a technical college (Westcol), and nearby residential homes. Women arrestees, in particular, must be transferred to Fochville.
The community leader further noted that similar abandoned buildings, including former police barracks in Fochville and Khutsong, exist in the area, pointing to a broader pattern of neglected public infrastructure across the country. “This is just a typical example of what we have turned to be as a country. We have destroyed every infrastructure. We have abandoned every infrastructure that we had as a country,” he said.
He added that the issue of the police station and alleged mismanagement of funds for sinkhole rehabilitation has been known for years, dating back to the presidency of Jacob Zuma, and referenced a Public Protector report on the matter. When asked whether the building could be rehabilitated, the community leader expressed skepticism, stating he is not an engineer but believes it would be a waste of money. He suggested it might be better to demolish the structure and start afresh.
The minister is expected to receive a briefing on the circumstances that led to the building’s decline, inspect its current condition, and outline plans to return it to public use as part of efforts to restore unlawfully occupied properties.
Community members view the visit as an opportunity to address long-standing safety and service delivery issues stemming from the abandonment. Questions remain about why only the police station was vacated while the nearby hospital, college, and homes continued operating despite the same sinkhole concerns in the mining area.
The oversight visit forms part of a wider government drive to reclaim and repurpose neglected public buildings.