/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison Vusi Shongwe has indicated that the province is ready for the forthcoming Festive Season saying that he will fully support all law enforcement operations in the province throughout the holiday period.

Shongwe was speaking during a meeting with SAPS Management in the province led by Acting Provincial Meshack Nogwanya. The meeting was held in Nelspruit yesterday (26 November 2014).

The MEC called on the police to work hard to ensure that all perpetrators of crime are brought to book during the Festive Season. He said that there is no room for corruption and that he would never support dishonest police officers calling on the Acting Commissioner to act decisively against those who are caught on the wrong side of the law.

Last week MEC Shongwe was also briefed by Nogwanya and his team about their plans for the Festive Season. At the meeting it emerged that SAPS in the province has brought to book over 670 suspects linked to crimes such as murder, attempted murder, car hijacking, truck hijacking, cash-in transits heists, bank robberies and others since 14 November 2014.

The arrests are mainly as a result of an intervention by a team of detectives from the SAPS Headquarters in Pretoria who have studied substantial number of dockets from SAPS. The detectives have visited both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces in order to determine progress regarding all registered dockets.

Shongwe has applauded the police saying that they were an indication that indeed the province was ready for the holiday season. He also added that the development augers well for crime prevention in the province stating that it would also improve communities’ confidence in the police’s ability to combat crime.

He also added that the arresting of dangerous suspects is a clear indication of government’s zero tolerance to criminality. The MEC said: “these arrests will bolster our efforts to mobilise communities to work with the police in the fight against crime. We are indeed encouraged by our men and women in blue and we therefore also appeal to community members to come forward and tell the police if they see any mischief in their communities.

We will not rest but we will ensure that our people have peaceful and crime-free holidays with their loved ones. The MEC was further briefed about the extensive plans that SAPS and other law enforcement agencies would embark on during the holiday period to ensure that the residents and visitors to the province were safe.

At the same meeting the MEC was also told about planned activities for the holidays to deal with expected increase in crime levels. He has further called on all law enforcement agencies to work even harder to ensure that communities are safe in their homes and on the road during the period.

The activities among others include raiding of liquor outlets, roadblocks, border operations, stops and searches and other operations aimed at bringing even more crime suspects to book while ensuring that there is general safety and security.

He also added that all components of SAPS will be fully supported by the department including Tactical Response Team (TRT) which is expected to form an integral part of activities such Overall Friday Programmes. He has further expressed his satisfaction regarding the department’s preparations for the forthcoming holidays saying that stakeholders need to increase their levels of co-operation to ensure that holiday makers arrive safely wherever they will be going.

On the other hand the MEC has welcomed the successes recorded by Provincial traffic officers following the discontinuation of 213 vehicles for not being roadworthy. A further 347 vehicles were also impounded in normal day to day operations across various provincial roads.

Another motorist was nabbed for excessive speeding while driving at 216 kilometres per hour on N3 between Balfour and Grootvlei.

Issued by Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison