Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has expressed his satisfaction with work done by police officers with regards to the safer festive season campaign.
The campaign has seen highly visible, multi-disciplinary law enforcement teams deployed to conduct regular vehicle and foot patrols, roadblocks, cordon and search operations and the tracing of wanted suspects.
An assortment of firearms and drugs have been seized throughout the country since the start of the Festive campaign in an effort to clean the streets of South Africa.
Among the successes of the campaign is the arrest of four men, one of whom is a policeman, following an intelligence-led operation on the ongoing probe into murders at the Glebelands Hostel on Thursday.
The notorious hostel in Umalazi, Kwazulu-Natal has seen a spate of murders over the past few years.
Several witnesses testifying before the Moerane Commission of Inquiry – tasked with investigating political killings in the province – have testified that Glebelands is a haven for hitmen who operate throughout KwaZulu-Natal and other provinces.
The arrest at the hostel comes a week after the minister launched a satellite police station in the area.
“I have always stressed the importance of an intelligence-led policing to root out many criminal elements within our communities. The arrest of a Police Officer must serve as a clear warning to others within our ranks that South African Police Service will never tolerate the betrayal of the budge,” Minister Mbalula said.
In a separate incident, the KZN Police team arrested a 28-year-old man at the Umlazi Magistrate court, for attempted murder, the suspect was previously granted bail for murder.
Another 25-year-old suspect was arrested in Bizana, Eastern Cape for attempted murder which occurred at the Glebelands Hostel last year.
“Our police officers are smoking criminals out of Glebelands Hostel, we will not tire until our people live in peace. I hope our people at Glebelands Hostel are taking full advantage of the Satellite Police station. Together with our people, we will defeat crime at that Hostel,” the minister said.
In Mpumalanga, police have arrested 2 676 suspects since the beginning of the festive season operations. These arrests include 27 for murder, 20 for rape, 277 for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and other crimes. The police confiscated 32 Firearms and different ammunition.
Minister Mbalula said “police are hard at work this festive season to ensure the safety of our people. I call upon community members to continue working with the Police in fighting crime. South Africans must enjoy Festive season peacefully.”
In the Western Cape, four life sentences were handed down to four Manenberg gang members in the Cape High Court who are accused of the murdered a 43-year-old Simon Johnson in October last year.
The accused Kaylem Barlet (20), Rushdien Meyer (21), Gareth Paulse (39) and Amien Jaffer (27) were also sentenced to three years imprisonment in terms of POCA, 10 years for attempted murder, 15 years for possession of an unlicensed firearm and three years for possession of ammunition.
“I must thank our courts for handing down these hefty sentences, they serve as a great deterrent to other criminals, and send a clear message that crime does not pay,” Mbalula added.
Minister Mbalula has sent clear instructions to all police officers, “Keep South Africa safe”, in particular, this festive season. The minister further urged South Africans people to continue enjoying the festive season in a responsible manner.-SAnews.gov.za
