Johannesburg District Commissioner Major General Max Masha led an Okae Molao operation in Woodmead on 8 April.
“We wanted to interrupt the criminals. We know that on this road specifically – Woodmead Drive, leading up to the R55 – there are a lot of criminals coming in and targeting some of the malls and businesses,” he said.
The police officers enforced the adjusted Level 1 lockdown regulations, and stopped cars and searched them. “When we are here, we stop the cars and search for unlicensed firearms, illegal drugs and sometimes even human trafficking.
“Now and then we have ladies that are trafficked in this area. We also want to increase police visibility and to answer the question, ‘Where is the law?’ as stated in the name of the operation.”
As part of the operation, Masha visited small businesses, bars and restaurants post Easter weekend. This was to check for liquor licences and compliance of the Covid-19 regulations.
“In terms of Easter weekend, it was a bit of a challenge because last year everybody was inside. This year, there were your taverns and shebeens which were not respecting the lockdown regulations, lack of social distancing and alcohol abuse.”
Masha added that the police would like to appeal to the community and parents to discourage drinking in teens and young adults. “Parents should not give up their responsibility as parents and let children know that its okay not to drink at all. It seems that there is a new trend where teens want to be cool by drinking. We pray we don’t go into a third wave sooner than expected.”
Masha said the Okae Molao operations have been successful throughout last year and this year. “We will continue to make our presence known through these operations.”
