Police Minister Bheki Cele in Soweto on 11 July 2022. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Police Minister Bheki Cele says the police’s efforts to tackle crime this festive season is yielding results and will be maintained to ensure safer holidays for citizens.
Cele addressed the media in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) on Sunday to provide an update of the festive season operations carried out by the South African Police Service (Saps).
In the press conference, Cele stressed that the police were “all hands are on deck” with its “effective” policing interventions across various provinces.
“The country’s law enforcement agencies have and continue to respond decisively to crime this holiday season and beyond. It is on this score that the Saps is maintaining high visibility on our roads and at ports of entry to arrest crime and any form of criminality in transit,” he said on Christmas Eve.
According to the minister, more than 3 300 roadblocks have been carried out throughout the country since 15 October.
The police have conducted over 200 000 stop and searches in the same period.
“Over 500 000 vehicles and foot patrols across the country have so far been conducted in communities,” Cele said.
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He indicated that the police conducted almost half a million “compliance inspections” at gun shops, second hand goods taverns and liquor outlets.
“Pursuing wanted suspects, murder rape and GBV suspects has also been high on the priority of police work, 6 244 tracking and tracing operations have been conducted since October.”
Police have also arrested over 75 000 suspects for various crimes such as murder, attempted murder, rape and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH).
“Almost 5 000 alleged assaulters have been arrested for common assault [while] 408 suspects who tried to break into business properties have been arrested. [At least] 561 people found in possession of firearms and ammunition are also behind bars.”
In addition, just over 11 000 undocumented foreign nationals have been nabbed.
“Efforts to deport the out of the country are underway,” Cele continued.
Cele further highlighted the “numerous breakthroughs” the police has made recently including the arrest of more than 300 suspected illegal miners in Gauteng this week.
The alleged zama zamas, who are in South Africa illegally, were arrested across different areas in the province, where illegal mining activities take place.
A number of items were confiscated during the police operations, which were carried out from Monday to Friday.
“High Caliber firearms, which include AK-47 rifles, were recovered. A substantial amount of tools used for illegal mining, including gas cylinders, generators, and explosives, were seized,” the minister said on Sunday.
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Three Lesotho nationals believed to be illegal miners were also arrested and three AK-47 rifles and ammunition were recovered in Nomzamo Park, Soweto.
Meanwhile, five suspects were apprehended for the murder of nine people in North West.
The incident took place last weekend at the Popo Molefe informal settlement near Rustenburg.
The minister pointed out that four high caliber firearms were recovered during the arrest of the accused behind the mass shooting.
In the Eastern Cape, law enforcement recovered R8 million worth of counterfeit goods, while Gauteng police further removed unlawful products worth R250 000 off the streets.
“These illicit goods include expired food items, toiletries electronics and tobacco products. It is on this score, that the public is cautioned against buying these illicit goods and any other stolen goods.”
Cele added that the 10 000 new recruits who recently joined the police force were proving to be “a valuable addition”.
The new constables, who are part of this year’s Project 10K police recruitment drive, graduated from various police academies across the country this month.
“Just ten days in their posts, they have certainly increased the footprint of the Saps. For ten days, they have been deployed to maintain high visibility especially in areas of business, leisure and around transport hubs across identified areas.”
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