Another blow for Homevale as service centre closes after break-in

FRUSTRATION is mounting among Homevale residents following the closure of the Homevale Cashier-Paypoint (Service Centre) on 3rd Street, which has fallen victim to theft and vandalism – the latest in a string of attacks on public infrastructure in the area.

Community members confirmed that the centre, which was an essential hub for paying municipal accounts, purchasing electricity, and accessing general services, was forced to shut its doors after a recent break-in saw computers and critical equipment stolen.

"This building was used for residents from Homevale to pay their municipal accounts and buy electricity and general municipal services," a concerned local resident told the DFA. "Currently, there is nobody inside the building, and the residents now need to take a taxi into town to get to the Sol Plaatje Municipality building."

The break-in at the service centre mirrors an earlier act of vandalism at the Homevale Library, situated right next door. Both facilities have become frequent targets for criminals, contributing to a growing sense of neglect and abandonment in the community.

According to Sol Plaatje Municipality spokesperson Thabo Mothibi, the municipality has acknowledged the incident and informed residents of the building’s temporary closure via its official communication channels.

“We experienced a break-in at the centre recently, and it will be closed until further notice,” Mothibi confirmed. “The inconvenience is regretted, and we trust that residents will visit other service centres.”

However, residents argue that rerouting services to the main municipal building in town places an unfair burden on them, especially given rising transport costs.

The closure has sparked fresh calls for improved security and maintenance of public buildings in Homevale. 

“We cannot keep losing essential services like this,” said a community member. “Every time something is stolen or vandalised, we are the ones who suffer.”

The Homevale community is now left with growing concerns over when – or if – the service centre will be reopened and whether adequate steps will be taken to safeguard it from further criminal activity.

Mothibi stated that while there is currently no exact date for the reopening of the Homevale Service Centre, several measures are already under way.

“We have arranged for 24/7 manned guarding at the site to avoid further break-ins – the current service provider will place guards there within the next few days. The manned guarding will be on a month-to-month basis until other internal security measures have been put in place. These include the installation of cameras and an alarm system,” he said.

He further explained that stolen electricity cables need to be replaced and that the municipality’s IT and maintenance departments would inspect the building to determine the extent of the work needed to restore electricity.

“We had initially moved furniture from Homevale to the Civic Centre to avoid it being stolen during further break-ins. This furniture will need to be returned, but only once the security measures are in place and electricity has been restored," Mothibi concluded.