By Mava Scott
With the festive season fast approaching many people are beginning to prepare for Christmas and end of year celebrations. However, this is also the time of year when criminals are on the prowl seeking to prey on their unsuspecting victims.
Throughout the festive season, the South African Police Service (SAPS) will conduct a number of safety and security operations, and these form part of a broader effort to turn the tide against crime.
Crime remains a complex societal issue and efforts to fight crime will only succeed with the help of individuals and communities. As government we believe that combatting crime together is imperative to creating a safer nation for all who live in it and forms part of our National Development Plan’s vision of building safer communities and a safer country by 2030.
To pave the way for a safer nation, the SAPS has increased the number of police stations and SAPS service points across the country and has deployed additional police officers. The drive to put more boots on the ground is being further strengthened by a process to re-enlist former police officers to serve as detectives.
The SAPS has also deployed over 2800 newly trained police officers across the country during September and October 2024. Furthermore, more than 2000 police trainees are currently in training at police academies across the country and expected to graduate ahead of the peak of the festive season.
To ensure the most impact police officers will be deployed where they are needed most, and there will be increased police visibility in provinces such as Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
These festive season operations form part of broader initiatives such as Operation Shanela which began in May 2003. Since the inception of Operation Shanela, police have arrested over 900 000 suspects, and since April 2024 to date, more than 4400 firearms which were used in serious and violent crimes have been seized.
Operation Vala Umgodi is another crucial initiative that involves various stakeholders including the SAPS, South African National Defence Force and the Department of Minerals Resources and Energy to tackle illicit mining. Since its inception this operation has seized millions in cash and uncut diamonds. Through this operation some unregulated coal yards and abandoned mine shafts have been shut down.
Through joint operations and specialised teams, the SAPS are also tackling priority crimes that face the nation. This includes cracking down on the illicit drug trade by working together with experts and agencies such as Interpol to intercept massive drug consignments across borders.
In the last quarter, police officials have arrested drug mules for smuggling narcotics worth millions which have been seized, including the recovery of crystal meth valued at approximately R2 billion at a clandestine laboratory in Groblersdal Limpopo. This demonstrates the determination of SAPS to combat drug trafficking and create a safer country.
Another major achievement in our fight against crime is the overall decline of serious crimes by 5.1 percent according to the 2024 second quarter crime statistics. Contact crime which forms part of this statistic declined by 3 percent. Moreover, there was a decrease in murder by 5.8 percent, sexual offenses by 2.5 percent and rape by 3.1 percent.
SAPS officials, government and communities are working together to address the scourge of GBVF. The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Investigations (FCS) unit have convicted more than 1 000 perpetrators from April to September 2024 for crimes relating to sexual offenses.
The overall increase in arrests and convictions is a result of the sharing of intelligence and resources as well as co-operation between government and businesses, the media, law enforcement agencies and communities. Community members have been instrumental in reporting incidents of crime and providing intelligence to the police, enabling them to track and trace criminals. Therefore, community participation is key to preventing and combatting crime.
Let us adopt a unified and co-operative approach by working alongside the SAPS and law enforcement during this festive season to create a safer nation for everyone.
Mava Scott is GCIS Chief Director: Cluster JCPS