Cape Town — Police Minister, Bheki Cele, said that crime rates have plateaued and more criminals have ben rounded up ever since police implemented Operation Shanela.
Cele answered questions in Parliament on Wednesday and said that between May – when the operation was first initiated – through to December, more than 442 000 arrests have been made, EWN reported.
“The high-density operations have increased police visibility in communities and have, therefore, served as a deterrent to crime and indicated in the release of the third quarter crime statistics for the financial years 2023/24. It is clear through the number of arrests made that Operation Shanela is making its mark, and putting a dent in serious, violent and organised crime.” Cele said.
Democratic Alliance (DA) MP, Okkie Terblanche, said government has failed in its goal to have violent crime within a decade, something which Presiddent Cyril Ramaphosa promised in his 2018 State of the Nation Address (SONA), no crime stats reflected the murders of black people before 1994.
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“Those numbers of people that are murdered in South Africa are highly unacceptable, that’s why we are putting more resources, that’s why we are training more police, that’s why we are putting more equipment, that’s why we are putting more hours and more effort. We have reached a plateau, but remember it’s a new thing, it was never known how black people died before 1994.” he said.
The latest Operation Shanela took place in Sandton, Johannesburg when police tried to clamp down on crime in the area through two strategically placed roadblocks, BNN News reported.
The presence of the mounted unit proved invaluable, facilitating the pursuit of fleeing suspects and the recovery of discarded firearms. The success of the operation culminated in the arrest of 106 illegal immigrants and three individuals with outstanding warrants, alongside the issuance of R166,000 in traffic fines. A total of 355 vehicles and 669 persons underwent searches, highlighting the operation’s extensive reach.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
