Police on high alert as South Africans prepare to enter the new year

As South Africans prepare to bid 2023 farewell and welcome 2024, the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (Saps), General Fannie Masemola, has pleaded with citizens to celebrate New Year’s Eve responsibly and to be safe.

While, New Year’s Eve is traditionally marked by fireworks lighting up the night sky as people across the globe ring in the new year, police will be on high alert monitoring the festivities and hotspots.

Police visibility

Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said officers will ensure heightened visibility in the form of multidisciplinary and integrated operations to ensure the safety and security of everyone in the country.

“The Saps together with other law enforcement agencies [are] maintaining high visibility on our roads, public spaces such as parks and beaches, train stations, taxi ranks and malls through foot,  vehicle and air-support patrols.

“Roadblocks, stop and searches, vehicle check points, compliance inspections at liquor outlets, second hand good dealers, gun shops as well as those selling fireworks are continuing,” Mathe said.

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Fireworks  

Masemola has encouraged communities to use fireworks responsibly and that no children should be allowed to handle them.

“While celebrating the ushering in of the new year, let us all be responsible in the way in which we celebrate. Monitor your alcohol consumption and don’t drink and drive. Heavily Intoxicated people often fall victim to various crimes such as being robbed, raped, assaulted often with no recollection of these incidents.

“It is thus important to be responsible. If anyone is found on the wrong side of the law and arrested today for any crime, they will spend the new year in police holding cells up until they appear in court and are granted bail. Police will not tolerate lawlessness and will be out there in full force to enforce the law at all times,” Masemola said.

Wanted suspects

Mathe said police officers were tracing wanted suspects, searching for illegal and unwanted firearms and illicit goods.

“This evening, General Masemola will – together with the Deputy National Commissioner for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili – join the Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela in monitoring New Year’s Eve celebrations in and around identified hotspots in Gauteng,“ Mathe added.

Motorists

Meanwhile, the Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP) is calling on all road users to exercise caution and be vigilant ahead of the new year.

GTP spokesperson Sello Maremane said traffic police are anticipating heavy traffic on Gauteng roads as there will be inter provincial travels as the new year approaches.

“We urge motorists to avoid using the roads while under the influence of alcohol, this includes jaywalking and drinking and driving as this can lead to reckless behaviour and road fatalities. Furthermore, the traffic police will not tolerate lawlessness as this kind of behaviour is a criminal offence,” said Maremane.

Maremane added that at least 242 motorists in Gauteng have lost their lives due to road crashes since the start of the festive period, 123 of those were pedestrians mainly in urban areas.

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