The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) says police officers at the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court are holding accused people inside police vans for extended periods, and a reported escape has sparked demands to move the court.
POPCRU said renovations had stripped the courthouse of suitable holding areas and adequate toilets, leaving officers to improvise dangerous security arrangements.
In a statement on Wednesday, the union said one person escaped from custody on Friday, October 23, under circumstances it linked to the court’s temporary arrangements.
“These concerns are neither hypothetical nor exaggerated,” POPCRU said, warning that the incident showed why authorities must intervene before another escape or a violent confrontation.
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When detainees need toilets, officers escort them towards available facilities near a busy taxi rank, exposing both police and the public to security risks.
“This arrangement presents serious security challenges,” the union said, describing how officers move people in custody through congested public spaces with limited security support.
It warned that such journeys could trigger “potential attacks, attempted escapes and other unpredictable confrontations” while officers already struggled with staff shortages and heavy workloads.
Court’s troubled renovation history
Photographs provided alongside the complaint show three police vans outside a brick courthouse and a bare toilet cubicle with damaged walls and worn concrete flooring.
Other images show exposed fittings, peeling paint and metal toilet bowls that are not operational.
POPCRU said renovations had resulted in the removal of sections of the court’s roof, making ordinary court operations increasingly difficult for officers.
The union called the arrangement “a fundamental failure to provide a safe and secure environment for the administration of justice” and demanded urgent intervention.
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The dispute follows a long history of problems at the courthouse, where government authorities had previously closed sections over health and safety concerns.
A 2024 parliamentary research report traced the renovation project to a maintenance proposal in 2007 and recorded repeated tender processes between 2013 and 2022.
The report said the Labour Department closed the court in November 2016, while officials temporarily shut it again in February 2022 amid safety concerns.
The same report listed an R85-million project budget and a November 2025 completion target, although a construction industry database now estimates completion in December 2026.
Union demands urgent intervention
In March 2022, the Justice and Public Works departments announced that they had restored services following a partial closure over health hazards.
They promised to work together to ensure that “occupational health and safety standards are fully met in all departmental buildings”.
POPCRU now wants both departments, the South African Police Service and other authorities to find another venue while workers complete the current renovations.
The union said any temporary court must have proper holding cells, accessible toilets, controlled entrances and sufficient security arrangements for staff and detainees.
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It also wants an immediate review of the number of police officers assigned to court duties and measures to prevent further escapes.
“Our call for temporary relocation is not intended to undermine the renovation project or disrupt access to justice,” POPCRU said, defending its proposed move.
Instead, the union argues that the court cannot protect everyone’s rights while officers escort people in custody through crowded public areas to use toilets.
“Our members cannot be expected to risk their lives because of inadequate planning and unsafe operational arrangements,” the union said.
“Their safety is not negotiable.”
- POPCRU reports that accused people are being held for extended periods in police vans at Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court due to renovations removing suitable holding areas and toilets.
- One person escaped custody on October 23, linked by POPCRU to the court's temporary security arrangements.
- Detainees are escorted by police through crowded public spaces to reach toilet facilities near a busy taxi rank, creating security risks.
- The Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court has a history of closures due to health and safety concerns, with renovations starting from a 2007 proposal and a projected completion date now in December 2026.
- POPCRU demands urgent intervention, including relocating the court temporarily to a facility with proper holding cells and security, and reviewing police staffing and security measures.
