Parklands residents and local leaders have renewed calls to reopen the Parklands Satellite Police Station following the discovery of a badly decomposed body in the area on Friday, 25 September 2026. The facility, which has been closed to the public for roughly three years, currently leaves policing responsibilities for Parklands to the Table View Police Station.
Democratic Alliance MP Nicholas Gotsell, constituency head for Atlantis, Blaauwberg, Table View and Dunoon, has led the campaign for reopening the station. Gotsell criticised the ongoing underfunding and inadequate resource allocation to both Table View and Parklands policing.
“The police’s continued underfunding and poor resource allocation to Table View and Parklands can no longer be ignored,” Gotsell said. “Yet the Parklands satellite station remains closed to the public. SAPS cannot continue to expect a policing model that has not kept pace with the tremendous growth of the area to be sufficient.”
The call comes amid broader concerns from the community about a sustained rise in crime and a reduced visible policing presence across Parklands. In April 2026, a petition launched by the DA attracted over 3,000 signatures urging SAPS to reopen the satellite station after a shooting on Parklands Main Road highlighted vulnerabilities in local safety.
Community spokesperson Sue van der Linde emphasised the urgency: “A sustained rise in crime, coupled with reduced police visibility, has made this urgent. The recent shooting in the area was the last straw; residents deserve a faster, more visible policing presence.” Jonathan Mills, also involved in community efforts, added, “The scale of development in this area has placed significant pressure on existing policing resources.”
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has explained that the Parklands satellite station was repurposed for specialised units and withdrew public-facing services citing operational challenges and safety concerns. Current police services for Parklands are conducted out of Table View Police Station located at 18 Pentz Drive, Table View.
These developments come as the Cape Flats and surrounding suburbs experience rapid growth, increasing demands on policing resources. Residents and local officials argue this growth has not been matched by adequate operational support and visible patrols in Parklands.
Despite multiple calls and petitions since April, the Parklands station remains closed to the public. The recent discovery of the decomposed body has intensified community pressure on SAPS to restore a dedicated police presence within Parklands itself.
At this stage, the identity of the deceased and the exact location within Parklands where the body was found remain unconfirmed. Cape Flats.co.za is awaiting verified updates from SAPS Athlone and will provide further details as they become available.