Johannesburg public safety MMC Mgcini Tshwaku wants a coordinated campaign against drug trafficking in the city.
Tshwaku was on the ground leading shop-to-shop inspections, salon closures and the raid of an alleged drug den in what he described as a “no-nonsense” crime prevention and by-law enforcement sweep.
Crime is rising so sharply in Midrand that the MMC called it “the new epicentre of drugs”. He alleged dealers are using “churches, hair salons and panel beating shops to launder drug money”.
Several salon owners fled when officers approached, leaving their doors open.
Tshwaku said metro law enforcement “will start locking deserted businesses”.
Among the shut businesses was a Korean car parts shop that did not have legal documents to operate. Its owner claimed his only form of identification was stored on his computer.
For residents such as Thembi Hlatshwayo, the effort is appreciated but she worries the change won’t last.
“The raids are good, but they run when they see the police and once police leave, it’s business as usual,” said Hlatshwayo.
More than 33 unroadworthy public vehicles without valid licence discs were impounded during the operation. The vehicles have been secured at the EMS fire station.
Tshwaku did not hold back on what he perceived as the deeper challenges that threaten to undo the efforts: corruption within the system.
“We cannot clean the City of Johannesburg with unethical officers. Some corrupt people get tip-offs from people inside the force, which is why we do not announce when we come. But not all men in blue are corrupt,” he said.
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He endorsed KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's assertion that some police stations are refusing to arrest or prosecute criminals.
"Mkhwanazi is correct in terms of his analysis. What he has been saying about the rot is correct.
"We bring in criminals during our operations but when we follow up, cases are dismissed, dockets have disappeared and cases do not make it to court. This has been happening for years."
The MMC questioned why many police stations continue to rely on the occurrence book system to record cases instead of a secure digital system.
“They know with the book, they can manipulate it, but they can’t do that with a proper system.”
TimesLIVE
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