National shutdown: Police on high alert to avoid repeat of July 2021 riots

As the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) prepares to embark on a national shutdown on Monday, police say they are on high alert to avoid a repeat of the July 2021 riots.

This is according to Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, who was speaking at Gold Reef City, where he delivered the third quarter (Q3) crime statistics (October and December 2022), which paint a grim picture of police not winning the war against crime.

Crime stats

Rape, murder, attempted murder and other serious contact crimes increased in the province, with an overall rise of 7.1%.

An increase of 168 rape cases (9%) were reported (2 033 during Q3 compared to 1 865 during Q2). Sexual assault increased by 8.5% (282 in 2021 compared to 306 in 2022). Attempted sexual offences increased by 26.2%, from 65 cases in 2021 to 82 cases during the same period in 2022.

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Mawela said assault GBH and common assault were the main contributors to the overall figure of contact crimes.

“For the period under review, these two crimes alone contributed over 50% as they have recorded 25 642 counts out of 50 039 total counts in the contact crime category. Assault GBH has increased by 4.5% (487 more counts) and common assault by 9.4% (1 238 more counts).

“We have been appealing to the public to find ways other than violence to resolve conflicts,” he said.

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It was disheartening that even with all their efforts, the statistics showed the police did not do well as they have lost their overall crime category for the quarter under review, Mawela added.

Mob justice

Over 100 people were killed due to mob justice, a sign that people were beginning to take matters into their own hands because of the lack of trust in the police.

“Mob justice remains a concern to us because those who commit these things say they are solving crime, but we are saying to them you can not solve a crime by committing another crime.”

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Mawela defended their Okae Molao operations after it was criticised for being a PR stunt and for not yielding results.

“If we decide to abandon this programme, it means wanted criminals will continue to roam the streets,” he said.

Police on high alert

He warned those who plan to use the national shutdown called by the EFF to loot and engage in criminality that police would be on high alert.

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“We learned our lesson about what happened in July 2021, we have done the debriefing and we have seen the gaps. I want to warn those who will break the law that they will be dealt with.”

– lungam@citizen.co.za