Police arrest over 26 000 over festive season
Police in Limpopo have arrested 26 806 suspects during them Safer Festive Season Operations campaign.
The campaign was launched on October 1 last year to January 1. According to the provincial police commissioner, Lt Col Thembi Hadebe, successes included a significant increase in the number of arrests for crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, assault, car-jacking, unlawful
possession of firearms, dealing in drugs, and illicit cigarettes, illegal mining, arson, and malicious damage to property. Among the suspects are 202 arrested for murder, 303 for rape and sexual assault, and 4559 for contravening the Immigration Act.
During the operation, 69 firearms and 233 rounds of ammunition were recovered. Moreover, 701 knives, 568 dangerous weapons, 103 stolen vehicles, 5m counterfeit cigarettes, and a large amount of liquor were confiscated. In total 1192 suspects were arrested for drug-related crimes such as heroin, crystal meth, Kat, and Nyaope, totalling a street value of more than R5 million. As part of the enforcement of the Liquor Act, 5301 individuals were fined for drinking in public while 513 illegal liquor outlets were shut down.
Also read: Town Watch reports good results over festive season
In other cases, a 32-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years for the rape and murder of his ex-girlfriend’s 11-year-old daughter in Burgersfort in 2021. Two life sentences were also imposed on a double murder accused, David Matjila (45), also in Burgersfort. Matjila stabbed and killed his girlfriend (34) and her son (2) at their home. In another case, a 47-year-old man was arrested after being accused of raping an 85-year-old woman at his home in Dennilton.
The suspect threatened the victim with a knife, raped and robbed her of an undisclosed amount of money. Police recovered the cellphone
belonging to the victim during the arrest. “When considering how these successes have been achieved, it is apparent that community involvement plays an increasingly important role in the fight against crime. The critical and important work done by community policing forums (CPFs) as well as ordinary citizens who report a crime in their communities is invaluable.
This is because I believe firmly that when a crime is committed, someone, somewhere has the information that can help the police arrest the perpetrators,” said Hadebe.
