Operation Okae Molao in all provinces as Operation Shanela

Police have netted close to 33,000 suspects since May 8

28 June 2023 - 07:21 By Ernest Mabuza
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Police minister Bheki Cele says they are tackling crime hotspots. File photo.
Police minister Bheki Cele says they are tackling crime hotspots. File photo.
Image: Freddy Mavunda

Police minister Bheki Ceke says the service expanded Gauteng's “Operation Okae Molao” nationally as Operation Shanela from May, and this gives police management an opportunity to be in crime hotspots to combat criminality. 

Cele was speaking during an engagement between police top brass and the South African National Editors Forum in Midrand on Tuesday. The engagement was aimed at improving the working relationship between the police and the media. 

Police said the expanded operation has led to the arrests of 32,939 suspects nationally from May 8 to June 19. 

Acting national police commissioner Lt-Gen Tebello Mosikili said in December last year the police service took a stance that it was going to put more boots on the ground after the provision of funding for thousands of recruits,

“The high density operational approach was then taken from May 8 to date,” he said.

Mosikili said every week provincial police commissioners and senior management take part in crime prevention operations where there is execution of warrants and linked suspect tracing, with the emphasis on murder and gender-based violence and femicide suspects.

There are also compliance inspections at liquor outlets and second-hand shops, tracing of illegal firearms, tracing of drugs, conducting roadblocks and increased visibility and patrols.

These operations target areas with high crime rates.

Cele said what has been found was that most crime was committed from Thursday to Monday and “that is when we put boots on the ground and when no station commander goes on leave or a weekend off”. 

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