Burglaries prevalent between Thursdays, Sundays, says national police commissioner

General Fannie Masemola, National Police Commissioner gave an update on key policing matters in the country on Thursday.

• Police commissioner Fannie Masemola says intensified crime-fighting operations are yielding results countrywide. 
• Masemola adds there has been greater collaboration between various law enforcement agencies. 
• Several illegal initiation schools have been closed in Limpopo.

If your home is burgled, the thief is likely to strike sometime between midnight and 03:00 from Thursday to Sunday.

This according to national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola, who gave an update on policing issues in the country on Thursday.

“… this is when criminals use the element of surprise to rob victims of their personal belongings.

“We are therefore urging homeowners to be extra vigilant while law enforcement agencies heighten visibility and strengthen working relations with private security who often patrol residential areas,” he said.

Masemola was speaking in Vanderbijlpark, where he also gave an update on Operational Shanela, which was launched in May.

He said operations have been intensified between Thursdays and Mondays as those were the days when most crimes were reported at police stations.

“We continue to collaborate and appreciate the role played by the SANDF, national and provincial traffic police, metro police departments, municipal traffic, the Department of Home Affairs, SARS, and other government departments; the CPF and community patrollers, as well as private security,” Masemola added.

In the last two weeks, 14 909 suspects were arrested for crimes ranging from murder to rape.

Masemola said 120 vehicles that were either reported stolen or hijacked have been recovered in the past two weeks across the country.

An increase in drug dealing and abuse was noted, he added, which would be another area of focus for police as alcohol and drugs contributed to high levels of contact crimes.

“Two weeks ago, on 21 June, our sea border police unit at the Port of Ngqura in the Eastern Cape seized 32 blocks of cocaine worth an estimated street value of R12.8 million in a container.

“Investigations continue to determine the specific destination of the drugs in South Africa and to find the perpetrators. The container had just arrived from the UAE,” he added.

Masemola said police would also intensify inspections at liquor outlets to ensure liquor traders complied with provincial legislation.

Illegal initiations schools

Limpopo police have closed down four illegal initiation schools, Masemola said.

The process to reunite the 34 boys with their families follows the shutting down of an initiation school at Leboeng ka Gamoraba in Sekhukhune.

At Driekop Motlolo Village, police rescued 115 girls; the process of reuniting them with their families is underway. 

Police in Nebo/Tlhogotlou returned 71 boys to their parents after being rescued from an illegal initiation school in Maserumule Park.

The owner of an illegal initiation school in Sibayeng, Makotopong, was arrested, and a process is underway to reunite 14 boys with their families, pending clearance by the Department of Health.

“On this score, we want to caution parents that when they send their sons to initiation schools, they must ensure that those schools are legitimate and registered with provincial authorities and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs,” Masemola said.

Operation Shanela have to date recovered and confiscated close to 800 firearms. 

Masemola said they were recovered in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and Western Cape – the provinces with the most reported shootings. 

Masemola said:

A total of 15 000 firearms were destroyed on Thursday.

Since Masemola took office in April 2022, 54 517 guns were destroyed.

He said all firearms destroyed on Thursday were cleared after being subjected to ballistic testing to determine if they were used in the commission of a crime.