| 2022/09/15 |
WESTERN CAPE, 15 SEPTEMBER 2022 SPEAKER NOTES FOR POLICE MINISTER GENERAL BHEKI CELE ON THE OCASSION OF THE WESTERN CAPE CRIME MATTERS MEDIA BRIEFING HOSTED IN CAPE TOWN 15 SEPTEMBER 2022
Deputy Minister of Police; Cassel Mathale Good Morning to you all As the Police Ministry and SAPS management, we have called this media briefing to provide an update on the crime situation in the Western Cape province. This province has recorded the lowest murder percentage increase of 0,2% compared to other provinces in the latest SAPS National Crime Statistics released in August. However, extreme violence and brutality stalks this province. The Western Cape has recorded an increase in contact crimes cases, between April to June 2022. Contact crimes include cases of murder, attempted murder, sexual offences and all cases of assault and robbery. The Nyanga police station in Cape Town, ranks at number one in the Top 30 contact crime stations in the country. So it is clear that there are glimmers of hope in this province and equally pockets of concern that are receiving immediate intervention. This media briefing also comes at a time when the SAPS marks National Police Safety Month, where the organisation and the nation observes the sacrifices officers in blue make, each day to serve and to protect the nation. Sadly, just a week ago, a 39 year old police member was shot and killed on Thursday morning in the Samora Machel township of Cape Town. Sergeant Sthembiso Mnatwana who worked at the Cape Town central police station, was killed while returning home after a night shift.
SEVEN DAYS IN WC. The Sergeant is one of 83 people killed in the Western Cape since the 05th of September to the 11th of the same month. This is a total of 83 people killed in the Western Cape province, in seven days. The majority of the murders, took place in and around the Cape Town Metropole and Cape flats. Arguments, robberies and gang violence remain the top causative factors for these deaths.
ARRESTS Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to take this opportunity to assure the residents of this province and communities across the county, that our mandate as the SAPS remains firm. The Service is fixed on the prevention, combating and investigation of crimes reported. As the Police Ministry we are encouraged that the SAPS in the Western Cape under the leadership of Lt General Patekile, continue to respond to crimes and make arrests and recover stolen goods. From the 1st of April to 11th of September 2022 The courts have handed down 21 life sentences, to perpetrators of murder and rape. A total of 118 people were convicted on serious crimes such as; 27 people convicted of murder 84 Rape 2 Attempted Rape 2 for robbery with aggravating circumstances and the remainder were convicted on charges of kidnapping, attempted murder and assault GBH. These individuals are collectively serving 1 401 years imprisonment.
FIREARMS Firearms are three times likely weapon of choice in all reported murders in the country. The Western Cape province has the third highest gun related murders, as per the last released national crime statistics. So it is on this score that the removal of 33 firearms and 538 rounds of ammunition in a week, from the streets of the Cape flats by the police, is welcomed. This includes 3 homemade firearms 29 revolvers/ pistol and one rifle. Commissioner, we do want to see sustained and tougher police action against the proliferation of firearms. We are clear that removing these guns from communities Commissioner, goes along way in saving lives. Members of the media, Keeping in line with the SAPS’s mandate of protecting and securing the inhabitants of this province and their property. Police operational deployments such as Vhutu Hawe, the Anti-Economical Task Teams are in place and focusing on tracking and tracing undocumented foreigners. The Economic Infrastructure Task Team is tackling non-ferrous metals. These are just some of the police operations currently in the Top 10 stations of; Kraaifontein, Delft, Samora Machel, Lwandle, Gugulethu, Harare, Lingelethu, Phillipe East, Mfuleni and Nyanga This is over and above the Anti Gang Unit (AGU) members and additional 200 SAPS officers deployed from other provinces, saturating the identified high crime hot-spots. Cumulative deployment of thousands of officers of the SAPS, supported by other forces from the city, metro and province each week conduct crime combating and prevention operations. Such operations include community awareness operations, roadblocks, vehicle control points, stop and searches, tracing wanted suspects as well as foot patrols. Maximum deployment of officers is seen on weekends and is guided by threat analysis and crime prevention patterns. The SAPS’s Operation Restore – which consists of integrated operations to the Top 10 police stations also continues to obstruct extortion rackets and related crimes. A total of 16 people were arrested for their alleged roles in the multiple shootings in Khayelitsha and Gugulethu that claimed 58 lives. This includes three suspects arrested in July this year for the multiple murder case of eight people shot and killed in Gugulethu during a traditional cleansing ceremony in June 2021. The unrelenting efforts and investigations have resulted in all three suspects from Phillipi East and Gugulethu namely, Thabo Dyasi, Sivuyile Matoti and Lundi Zweni answering to the courts and they remain in custody.
TRUCKS AND CARS Western Cape police have pounced on carjacking syndicates responsible for the theft of vehicles worth millions of rand; which been recovered. Police operations have also resulted in the recovery of 16 trucks that were also high-jacked in the past five months. These trucks seized by the police are believed to be worth over R40 million. Intelligence operations have led police in this province, to uncover a Truck-jacking syndicate targeting delivery trucks with a cash safe at the back. Their modis operandi meant the trucks were intercepted while stationary at a traffic light, the gang would gain entry, stealing the cash inside the safe and dumping the truck in a nearby community; where it is looted by residents for its cargo. Such incidents have been reported to the Hermanus, Bellville, Gugulethu and Robertson policing areas. Nqobizitha Mbatha, Anele Lokwe and Siyabonga Batala all under the age of 30 years are answering to the courts for this crime. Two suspects have also been arrested for a spate of Carjackings in the Mitchelles Plein, Milnerton and Bishop Lavis areas. The pair targeted courier vehicles in the Milnerton and Table View areas, victims were robbed at gunpoint and the vehicle would be driven away to another location.
DRUGS Local police continue to remove illicit goods such as alcohol and illegal drugs off the streets of the Western Cape. Police have intercepted and seized crystal meth, cocaine and heroine including R33 million rand worth of mandrax in recent months.
DPCI In this regard, the DPCI has intercepted over 4 hundred million rand worth of cocaine enroute to Cape Town from Gauteng, through its serious organized crime unit. Four people have been arrested and are before the courts for this crime. A further 9 suspects have been arrested for Cash In Transit crimes. The Hawks have also circulated and pounced on 8 individuals for economic infrastructure crimes from the 1st of April to the 11th of September. The DPCI Serious Commercial Crimes unit has arrested a total of 13 fraudsters for fraud related cases.
KIDNAPPING The Western Cape police are investigating 32 cases of kidnapping since 1st of March to September 2022. It remains encouraging that the SAPS in the province continue to make inroads regarding kidnapping cases. A total of 15 kidnapping suspects have been arrested. This includes the, court appearance of five suspects who appeared at the Wynberg Magistrates court on Monday, 12 September 2022. The five-member gang appeared on charges of conspiracy to commit a kidnapping and other charges related to the failed kidnapping of a business women of Chinese nationality.
JCPS CLUSTER INTERVENTIONS ON CORRUPTION This ministry and SAPS management is alive to the fact that there are some police officers who are breaking the law while hiding behind the blue uniform. Between 1 April to September, 24 police officers have been arrested for various crimes in the Western Cape. This includes 11 police arrested for corruption. 4 officers arrested for fraud, four more have been arrested for extortion and another four members arrested for defeating the ends of justice. One officer has been found in possession of drugs and is answering to that charge. Commissioner, We have agreed that restoring the trust deficit between communities and the SAPS will need the police service clean house. I believe these arrests, while they are painful, they do send a strong message that police inaptness, police corruption will never be tolerated and wont go unpunished. While the SAPS is arresting its own, the judiciary is also intensifying the fight against corruption within its ranks, including Magistrates courts that have turned into bail ‘wholesales’ in some court precincts in the country. Furthermore the Correctional Service department, has also made strides in the fight against alleged corruption in its correctional facilities. This includes allegations of prison warders who are colluding with criminals while behind bars.
TRANSPORT The Western Cape transport sector has been recently marred by violence, intimidation and acts of sabotage placing commuters and drivers lives at risk. 38 cases were registered on attacks on Intercape, Golden Arrows, Mavumisa buses as well as Taxis respectively from August 1st to 31 August 2022. 16 people have been arrested, charged with public violence and malicious damage to property. Interventions to stop the attacks and violence in this sector have included Investigative task teams reliant on early warnings from Crime intelligence to make arrests and prevent further attacks. Transport priority committee has been meeting with affected stakeholders; including Bilateral Task Team consisting of officials from the Eastern and Western Cape. Increased police deployment on bus routes has also yielded encouraging results. The Ministry is comfortable with these measures in place to curtail violence, intimidation, threats and disruptions in the transport sector.
MAGISTRATES SAFETY Ladies and Gentlemen Many of you present here today joined me yesterday, as I visited to the family of the late Magistrate Romey Van Rooyen who was killed over the weekend. Her lifeless body was found at her Muizenburg home on Saturday and her car was missing, which has since been found by the police. While the DPCI investigates this murder case, Provincial Commissioner Lt General Patekile and I, felt the need to pay a comfort visit to her elderly father and brother Tesswell, during their hour of need. It is during this visit that we assured the Van Rooyen family of our commitment as the Justice and Security Crime Prevention Cluster to find the killers. The police Ministry and JCPS as a whole remain deeply concerned about the safety of members of the country’s judiciary. For this government, any attack on our judicial officers is an attack on the Justice system and ultimately a direct attack on the state. It is on this score, that threats of violence or acts of intimidation against court officials are taken lightly by the SAPS and the Department of Justice. There has been increased threat assessments conducted on Magistrates, Prosecutors and Judges working in the provinces courts. The assessments have resulted in the protection of High Court Judges Magistrates and Advocates of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), due to threats on their lives. Other unresolved cases of killing of members of the judiciary will receive interventions from the DPCI to enhance the investigation and possible arrests. As we mark National Police Safety month, we are invigorated by the arrests of criminals who attack and kill our officers, on and off duty. The DPCI has arrested 9 suspects for their role in police killings.
CONCLUSION As I round off my address this morning, I want to place of record that we are proud of the work that has been done by the men and women of the SAPS in this province. Let this not be a sign to relax, but rather sharpen their skills sets, work ethics and policing efforts to decrease the provinces crime levels. The continued injection of policing resources from Pretoria, be it personnel or funding into the Western Cape is starting to change the crime picture around. We must also acknowledge the improved working relationships with other centers of authority such as the local government and the community. Together, we will surely better squeeze the air and suffocate the growth of criminality. I want to laud communities who chose not to be bystanders but each day, unite against the enemy that is crime. Communities who assist the work of the police through information gathering and sharing, become part of the SOLUTION. Whether it is informal or formalized community structures such as Community Policing Forums, Neighbourhood Watches or Community Patrollers - your work as individuals and as a collective is GREATLY appreciated. The SAPS will continue to do all it can to support these much needed community policing efforts as part of improving service delivery to communities. In intensifying the efforts of dealing decisively with GBVF, Trained police officers are manning GBV Desks at Police Stations to ensure the provision of a victim-centered service to all victims and survivors of GBVF. The supply of Rape Kits is ongoing and adequate at police station level in the province. The Police Ministry will lead the first ever Imbizo YamaDoda – (Mens Dialogue on GBV) as part of on going awareness programs of the SAPS, aimed at preventing the scourge of GBVF. This Dialogue will take place on the 26th of September in Khayelitsha. And lastly to officers of this beautiful Blue organization, there is no room for stagnation in an effort to save lives including that of your own. Continue to ensure ALL citizens of this country are protected whilst enforcing and upholding the law – at all times. Always keeping in mind that South Africans must not be told they are safe, they MUST feel safe. IPHOYISA IPHOYISA NGOMPHAKATHI! I thank you. |