Courageous women tackle crime hotspots

eThekwini Outer South (EOS) cluster SAPS women, together with Durban South Metro Police, celebrated Women’s Day early on Wednesday, 8 August with a ‘women only operation’ at Galleria Mall.

Women members gathered at the mall at 6am to address the crime in Isipingo and Amanzimtoti areas. A total of 75 policewomen with 12 police vehicles were committed to ensure their presence in various hot spot crime areas were felt.

They held blue light patrols and one road block in Isipingo on the M35, where 65 people and 203 vehicles were searched. Thirteen people were charged for various crimes, ranging from driving without a licence to contravention of the Firearm Control Act 60 of 2000.

The objective of the operation was to reduce crime and to show the strength of women. Members were focusing on preventing serious crime and to ensure the safety of the public and their property. They also continued throughout the operation doing stop and searches in hotspots in Isipingo CBD and Amanzimtoti CBD, in the hope of finding more dangerous weapons or any illegal and unlicensed firearms. They enforced the Road Traffic Act, Liquor Act and Drug Act during the operation.

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The women also hit the streets of the busy Isipingo CBD, smiling and handing out crime awareness pamphlets on gender-based violence against women and illegal firearms.

“I applaud women to courageously go out there and fight crime. We are committed to continue addressing serious crime within the hotspots in the cluster. We are also targeting crime generators such as alcohol and drug abuse. There will be continuous operations throughout women’s month and this will certainly make a valuable contribution to impacting crime as a whole,” said acting EOS commander, Brigadier Vukani Mgobhozi.

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