| 2023/06/09 |
SPEAKER NOTES UPDATE TO THE NATION ON OPERATION SHANELA NATIONAL COMMISSIONER OF THE SAPS GENERAL SF MASEMOLA KLIPGAT SAPS, NORTH WEST PROVINCE 09 JUNE 2023
Thank you Programme Director
The Acting Deputy National Commissioner for Policing, Lt General Senthumule Our host, the Provincial Commissioner of the North West, Lt General Kwena All operational Divisional Commissioners present Chairpersons and Members of the CPF Structures National Component Heads Provincial Management of the SAPS All invited guests Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen – good day to you all.
TRIBUTES As we take this opportunity to update the nation on strides made in the fight against crime, let me start off by paying tribute to the late Chairperson of the National Assembly Portfolio Committee on Police, Ms Tina Joemat Pettersson who died earlier this week. On behalf of the men and women in blue, we remember the late chairperson for her oversight role, holding officials to account in the execution of our constitutional mandate. With her straightforward and resolute approach, the late chairperson criss-crossed the country, conducting oversight visits at police stations, service points and SAPS training academies. Her mission was always to ensure that service delivery is enhanced and improved at all our service points. We will surely miss her guidance and support as we continue with the journey of making South Africa a much safer and better place to live in. Our condolences also goes to the family and colleagues of Mr Kevin Pillay. At the time of his death, Mr Pillay was serving as Secretary of the National Community Police Consultative Forum (NFPCF) board. He also served as a Chairperson of Mpumalanga CPF Board for two terms. Mr Pillay will be remembered for his commitment and contribution in forging good relations between SAPS and communities. The SAPS has sadly lost a number of members this week. We also take this opportunity to pay tribute and send condolences to the family of Brigadier Jackson Mkhaulesi who died in Bloemfontein earlier this week. We will remember him as a hardworking and dedicated detective with a career spanning more than three decades. Our condolences to family, friends and colleagues of the detective commander of Mooinooi police station, Lieutenant Colonel Morris Lekone Mohajane who was killed after a hijacking incident outside his home. We also pay tribute to Constables Mohlopi, Mokoena and Mdende from Fochville SAPS who tragically lost their lives in a car accident 10km outside Potchefstroom, also on Tuesday afternoon. Our sincerest condolences also goes to the families of Sergeant Maja and Warrant Officer Durandt. Sergeant Maja was fatally shot in a shootout with suspects in Mamelodi during an operation by the HAWKS Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS). Warrant Officer Durandt was the Detective Branch Commander of Villers in the Free State. He was fatally shot while responding to a truck hijacking. The SAPS continues to implement the Police Safety Strategy which seeks to look at the safety and security of members on and off duty. May the departed souls rest in peace…
OPERATION SHANELA Coming back to the business of the day… Our continued analysis of crime patterns and emerging crime threats has led to the inception of the high density Operation Shanela since 08 May 2023. We continue to implement our five pillar approach in our resolve to reduce the volumes of crime in our communities. “OPERATION SHANELA” will see all provincial commissioners and senior management from each province, leading and taking part in weekly high density crime prevention and combatting operations. OPERATION SHANELA comprises of regular stop and searches, vehicle check points, roadblocks, cordon and searches, high visibility patrols including foot patrols, the tracing of wanted suspects with a focus on the apprehension of murder and rape suspects, compliance inspections at liquor outlets as well as second hand good dealers.
SUCCESSES I am pleased to report that we are starting to see the positive impact of these integrated, high density operations that are intensified over the weekend when crime is most prevalent and reported. Since the inception of these weekend operations, the following successes and achievements have been made: 21 200 suspects were arrested for various crimes ranging from murder, rape and malicious damage to property. The breakdown is as follows:
RECOVERIES
The following drugs were seized during this period:
Over and above the Operation Shanela successes, I am therefore pleased to announce that in the past six months starting period 01 December 2022 to 05 June 2023, a total of 120 278 suspects were arrested for various crimes with the majority of their cases still before court.
GUN VIOLENCE We continue to focus and intensify our operations on detecting and tracing of illegal firearms, in a bid to ensure that we permanently remove them off our streets to ensure the safety and security of communities. The recent crime statistics indicate that firearms are the most preferred weapons of use in the commission of crime, especially murder. The mass shootings in some parts of the country remain an area concern. In our quest to remove these firearms permanently, it is encouraging to report that 215 151 firearms and more than 2 million rounds of ammunition have been destroyed from 2019 to date. These were illegal and unwanted firearms that were either confiscated and seized during operations as well as voluntarily handed over to our police stations during the firearms amnesty period. In this financial year, we plan to destroy a further 12 592 firearms that were also confiscated during operations.
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND FEMICIDE CASES In our continued bid to protect the women, children and vulnerable groups of this country, I am pleased to announce that 17 481 suspects were arrested for Gender Based Violence and Femicide related cases during the past financial year. 386 life imprisonment sentences were handed down to 230 accused during that same period. 221 accused were handed down 6 024 sentences in the category 20 years and above imprisonment. 421 accused were handed down 6 498 sentences in the category 10 years up to 19 years imprisonment. And lastly, 692 accused were handed down 3 898 sentences in the category 1 year up to 9 years imprisonment. In relation to strengthening our crime combatting efforts in various provinces:
LOCKDOWN OPERATIONS WC The Lockdown operation in the Western Cape is still running with the focus on the six priority police stations that are experiencing high levels of contact crimes, trio crimes, crimes associated with gangsterism, extortion on business and economic sites as well as taxi violence related crimes. The stations are Delft, Mfuleni, Nyanga, Harare, Lingelethu-West and Khayelitsha. Our specialised units continue to maintain a presence to deter crime from happening. From 01 December to date, 278 suspects have been arrested for various crimes ranging from murder and theft and hijacking of motor vehicles. 112 stolen and hijacked vehicles have been recovered, 28 firearms and 470 rounds of ammunition have also been seized. 124 cases are currently before court.
COMBATING GANG RELATED CRIMES IN GAUTENG Still on combating of gang related crimes in Eldorado Park, New Clare and Westbury in Gauteng, 127 suspects have been arrested and 89 cases are before court. 67 of the arrested are attached to gangs in the Westbury area. 09 firearms have been confiscated with 66 rounds of ammunition. 20 stolen vehicles have been recovered in the area. In Westbury since the Ministerial intervention in March, guns have been silenced and this can be attributed to increased police visibility, crime intelligence targeted operations as well as the deployment of members as per the crime analysis patterns.
KHUCULULA (DIEPSLOOT) INTERVENTIONS (GP) Ongoing specialised deployments in the Diepsloot area in Gauteng continue to yield positive results. For the reporting period, 585 suspects were arrested with 15 firearms recovered. 11 stolen and hijacked vehicles were also recovered. 399 cases are currently before court.
EMANGUZI DEPLOYMENTS The task team deployed to clamp down on cross-border crime in Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal is registering commendable progress with the arrest of 75 suspects since its deployment four months ago. The task team made up of specialised units and organised crime detectives from the police’s headquarters in Pretoria were deployed to the area in March this year, following a community engagement to address the high levels of cross border crimes including vehicle theft. Following our interventions and deployments to the area, to disrupt and dismantle crime along the borderline affecting both South Africa and Mozambique 37 vehicles have since been recovered and 27 firearms recovered with 321 rounds of ammunition seized.
Economic Infrastructure Task Teams (EITT) ILLEGAL MINING In an effort to deal decisively with the scourge of non-ferrous metal theft, essential and critical infrastructure related crime, extortion at construction and economic sites as well as illegal mining, 20 task teams have been deployed to hotspot areas. In Mpumalanga in towns where illegal mining is most prevalent, 182 suspects have been arrested, 38 firearms recovered with 1251 rounds of ammunition. 60 vehicles including trucks have been recovered. 75 cases are currently before court. In Limpopo in the Burgersfort area, 413 suspects were also arrested in connection with illegal mining. 10 firearms and 142 rounds of ammunition have been seized. 20 stolen vehicles and those used in the commission of crimes including trucks have also been recovered. 158 cases are currently before court. To prevent and combat the theft of commodity and mineral in the Richards Bay area, as well as to prevent the murder of officials linked to the local mine, 26 suspects have been arrested, 8 firearms recovered and 48 rounds of ammunition seized. 8 stolen vehicles including trucks have also been recovered. 11 cases are currently before court. In Kwa-Majola in Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape, where women and children had fled their homes after 50 homesteads and 97 houses were torched over a decade long conflict, specialised teams have been deployed and 3 suspects have since been arrested who are linked to the alleged terrorism in the area. 2 firearms were also recovered with 87 rounds of ammunition.
THE CPF INDABA We are continuously working hard to build and strengthen relationships with our communities through our Community Police Forums. We have recently concluded a three day CPF indaba that was held in Pretoria in May. The indaba was attended by the leadership of CPF structures across the country where we have collectively agreed that we will jointly intensify our efforts to resource and capacitate these structures. A resource funding model is being developed to this effect by the SAPS.
PROJECT 10K In our quest to ensure more boots on the ground, we already have 8 600 trainees that are currently undergoing the Basic Police Learning Development Programme (BPLDP). This is the first batch of the 10 000 police officers that we are training to increase capacity and bolster our crime fighting efforts at the grass roots level of policing which include stations and units. The remaining 1400 will consists of law graduates and other applicants and will commence training in July and January respectfully. In December we deployed 10 000 officers to specialised units and stations to enhance our crime fighting efforts. 4000 of them have already been trained and are serving in the Public Order Police (POP) unit for crowd control management purposes.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF DNC CRIME DETECTION In a bid to strengthen our investigative capacity, Major General Shadrack Sibiya has been appointed as the Deputy National Commissioner of Crime Detection. He is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General with effect from 01 July 2023. Major General Sibiya brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position having started his career as a student constable in 1989 at the Hamaanskraal SAPS Academy. He started off his career at the Knysna SAPS in the detective environment and worked his way up the ranks. He has also served in various organisations and we are confident that he has the qualities that will steer crime detection in the right direction.
Ladies and Gentlemen….. Members of the media We trust that the aforementioned milestones through Operation Shanela and organisational developments, demonstrate our seriousness and decisiveness in bringing down crime once and for all. Working closely with other law enforcement agencies, the SANDF where support is required, government departments such as the Department of Home Affairs, we can collectively ensure that our communities are and feel safe and secure.
Thank you.
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