Successful year for police

According to the Tzaneen Cluster police spokesperson, Lieutenant Moatshe Ngoepe, 99 stolen cars were recovered, 98 illegal firearms were recovered,1 118 193 litres of liquor was confiscated, 9 448 995 091 grams of dagga confiscated, 22,2 grams of drugs confiscated ,121 stolen cell phones were recovered,14 stolen television sets ,34 stolen computers and accessories were also recovered. Ngoepe said police detectives worked hard to ensure that some of the arrested criminals get heavy sentences for offences such as assault, armed robbery, murder, attempted murder, malicious damage to property, house breaking and theft,shoplifting, road traffic offences.

Furthermore, the specialised unit dealing with crimes against woman and children; Family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit have done so well this year where a total of 216 criminals were brought to book for various offences ranging from rape, neglect of child, sexual assault to house breaking and rape and subsequently, they were send to jail with a consolidated sentence of two life terms , 192 years and nine(9) months imprisonment with no fine.The seven cluster police stations, being; Bolobedu, Tzaneen ,Maake, Ritavi, Letsitele, Modjadjiskloof and Haenertzburg, The challenges experienced throughout this year are in various aspects such as buying of stolen goods by members of the community, hitch-hiking, abuse of drugs and alcohol, mob-killings,etc. There is a better solution for these challenges , which are strong and effective Community Policing(CPF), sector Policing, street committees, neighbourhood watch in which members of the community are still encouraged to support them unconditionally. Rural safety became a challenge as well for this year but a high level partnership between the farmers and the police was established and have successfully managed to prevent any criminality in and around the farming communities.

He added that after the National Police Commissioner launched the School Safety Project in Lephalale, this cluster also successfully launched it at Ga-Mokwakwaila Village in the Bolobedu Policing area outside Tzaneen where all schools were linked to individual police officers with the sole aim of enhancing security measures at schools including the establishment of school safety forums.

Addressing law enforcement officers during the launch of the “Operation Festive Season”, cluster commander, Major General Maggie Mathebula said “As the police members in this cluster, we are ready to fight any criminality head-on during this festive season on an integrated approach where the SAPS and traffic police will be operating as one,”.

She said the cluster established strategies to fight crimes against woman and children where the anti-rape campaigns have done so well on educating our communities on community based crime prevention strategies especially woman and children and how they can avoid becoming victims of crime.

The festive seasons operation is in gear now, we are therefore appealing to all members of the community to support this operation by reporting any criminality in and around their areas to the police immediately and for them to ensure their personal safety including properties.

When you travel any long distances, please, leave earlier and please avoid hitch-hiking or giving people lifts. When you go on holiday, do necessary security arrangements in time. When going shopping, please do not leave any valuable items on the seats of your cars and park your cars at open and safe parkings. Do not drink and drive. Arrive alive.

The cluster commander and management of police, wishes every citizen of this cluster a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.