9 February 1999

In his opening speech to Parliament, President Mandela focussed on several major themes, amongst which was the issue of crime. Some of the comments made after the speech confirmed that while crime has become the most talked about social problem in our country, it has received very little analytical attention. This explains why some of our "experts" take issue with us when we predict, on current trends, that the future promises to be safe and secure. Some have gone as far as suggesting that crime is remote from the heart of government's concern. Heedless to say, this charge has no basis in fact and is not corroborated by the things we are doing everyday.

President Mandela alluded to some crime categories which are receiving priority attention and made bold to say that: "The battle against crime has been joined, and we have no doubt at all about who the victors will be".

In this short briefing, I wish to focus on at least three of those priority crime by looking at:

• the cash-in-transit robberies
• the situation in the Western Cape, and
• the situation in Kwazulu-Natal

In the process, I will talk about the various elements of our intervention. It is my contention that these elements, singly and in combination, have had an impact which is sometimes not sufficiently appreciated.

With regard to cash-in-transit robberies, we have tasked 44 murder and robbery units, comprising about 1 000 detectives, to treat this as an intimate part their mandate. As a result there are today a number of cases before the courts.

Among these are:

A: The Bronkhorstspruit robbery

5 accused. Some of these have other cases pending against them e.g.:

• 3 are alleged to have been involved in the Grayston robbery of R4-million
• 2 are connected to the Bainsvlei robbery (R1.7 million) and escaping from lawful custody.
• 2 escaping from custody (Pretoria Central Prison) including charges of attempted murder and attempted robbery.
• 3 were allegedly in a robbery in Swaziland.
• 1 is connected to the R1 8-million Sunnyside robbery
• 1 is linked to a fraud case!, concerning a BMW which was purchased with false papers.

B: The Pinetown Robbery

Ten suspects have been arrested to date. They remain in custody and it is expected that they will be indicted during March 1999. Of the original R31million, an amount of R5,4-million is cash has been recovered. Eleven million Rand has been successfully attached in a joint venture between the SAPS investigators and attorneys for Lloyds of London.

C: The Siyabuswa robbery

There are 16 accused in this case. The case involves the robbery of R10million. One of the 16 accused has escaped and the other 15 are awaiting trial.

The incidence of cash-in-transit robberies shows a definite decline over the past few years. This can be attributed to the fact that some of the major criminals who have carved out their own niche in cash-in-transit robberies have been neutralised.

I must point out that most of the detectives who are investigating cash-in-transit robberies are part of the 1597 detectives who have attended courses and workshops presented by our detective academy since its inception in October 1997. While I am on the detective academy, I must say that in addition to empowering cash-in-transit investigators the Investigators Psychology Courses at the academy have assisted detectives to achieve other remarkable results, amongst which are cases where serial killers were apprehended:

• Capital Park, Pretoria, 1999, seven victims
• Thohoyandou, 1998, nine victims
• Wemmerpan, Johannesburg, 1998, 50 victims
• The Stewart Wilken Case, Johannesburg, 1998, 10 victims

DNA Database was also used to investigate crimes of cash-in-transit robberies, where many cases were linked to one another.

• The SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory is at the forefront of the application of DNA technology to criminal investigations.
• The SAPS FSL handled about 60 000 cases in 1998.
• The lab has been decentralising to other provinces in order to broaden the provision of these services to crime investigators

Exposure to modern investigative techniques will make it possible for detectives to achieve good results within a legal dispensation which does not allow them to rely on confessions. It would also provide a possible crime deterrent to repeat offenders, thus reducing actual crime.

URBAN TERROR IN THE WESTERN CAPE

Detectives have been charged with the responsibility of investigating offences which can be categorised as urban terrorism and other cases committed by people who are associated with the phenomenon of vigilantism.

For sometime now, investigators acting in collaboration with experts from the forensic science laboratory have been building DNA profiles of possible suspects. This painstaking and patient avenue of investigation is achieving results and the first DNA match with an arrestee and a crime scene has been made. You will recall an murderous attack which claimed the life of a four-year-old child during November 1998 in Athlone.

The person who was arrested in connection with this matter was linked to the case by DNA.

As of yesterday (1999.02.08) detectives in the cases related to urban terror had 243 cases on hand. Seventy five of these cases are currently before court. Sixty seven persons were arrested (a document detailing a resume of the more high profile arrests and cases which still have to be disposed of shall be distributed).

During the three years of investigating vigilantism and related crimes, convictions have been obtained on charges of armed robbery, possession of unlicensed firearms, offences relating to public gatherings and intimidation.

With the measure that were introduced in terms of Operation Good Hope, we are beginning to overcome the problem which derives from the paucity of crime intelligence. For instance, the arrests of five suspects near Prince Alfred in the Karoo was to a large extent, made possible by the work of our crime intelligence section.

The FBI, at the request of the academy, presented a one-day workshop to the detectives in the Western Cape (1999.01.30).

According to the South African Institute of Race Relations, an estimated total of 21, 414 political fatalities occurred between 1985 and 1995. Thus for a whole decade the perpetrators of that violence, with their reputation for brutality with impunity, increased their ominous activities with little end in sight.

From the beginning we resisted pressure to tackle this problem by adopting the perverse policy of introducing a State of Emergency. Rather we chose the less dramatic route of establishing a Special Investigation Unit (ITU) which, in its relatively short life investigated a total 1,400 cases and arrested 81 persons on charges ranging from assaulting a police officer to murder.

The arrestees included ex-members of the KwaZulu Police, ex-members of the SAP, members of the SADF/SANDF, ex-members of the UDF and members of the ANC, the IFP as well as the National Party.

By February 1997, the Human Rights Committee was able to say in its report: "The levels of political violence in KZN as evidenced by death have dropped dramatically in the month of January (1997) to 18 deaths, the lowest ever recorded".

The situation is even much better today than what it was in January 1997. Yet there are those who continue to peddle the notion that government has failed to solve the problem of KZN. This is based on a profound misreading of the reality of what President Mandela would call "the epoch-making progress that has been made".

Whilst KZN has been transformed into a zone of relative peace and stability, Richmond remains an enduring flashpoint of turbulence and this makes it a lonely exception.

Richmond as an area therefore, continues to test the ingenuity and the fortitude of our law enforcement authorities.

From the point of view of effective law enforcement, ours have not been a chronicle of unerring interventions. There have been problems in Richmond some of which compelled us to close down the Richmond Police Station in August 1998. We then sent a National Intervention Unit to take over all policing in the area.

Shortly before we made these interventions, there had been ugly violent incidents which include:

• The Tavern Massacres in which 8 people were killed on the 3rd of July, 1998.
• The "Shezi Massacre" in Esimozomeni which occurred on the on the 9th of July in which nine people were killed.

Even after our national intervention, five people were killed in what has come to be known as the "Jama Massacre" on the 30th of August 1998. On the 3rd of September 1998, the late Mr Sifiso Nkabinde reported that two UDM supporters were abducted in Ndaleni. Four days later the bodies of the two were found.

Since those attacks, increased law enforcement activity brought about a relatively quiet period which was unfortunately interrupted by the assassination of Mr Nkabinde on the 23rd of January 1999.

During this period of July 1998 to February 1999, there have been notable successes. These include:

• The arrest of 15 people who were charged for cases of murder and attempted murder. This covers suspects in the "Tavern Massacre".
• When arresting two of the accused, namely Mr B Mkhize and T Jama, an R4 rifle was recovered and this rifle has been ballistically connected with six other murder scenes in which 25 people were killed. The incidents include the Shezi Massacre and the Jama Massacre. Both Jama and Mkhize were also found in possession of a .38 revolver which has been ballistically connected with another murder scene where two people were killed. The accused are both members of the UDM and will appear in court today.
• On the 7th of September 1998, 3 ANC supporters were arrested in connection with the murder of two people whose case was reported to the police by the late Mr Sifiso Nkabinde.
• On the 24th of January 1999, five suspects were arrested and charged with attempted murder. These UDM members have already appeared in court and they will be appearing again later.

For us the operative material principle is to contain the problem in Richmond. Not allow it to spread to other areas, and to strive to end it.

We have already made plans for 45 members of the Serious Violence Unit led by Director Eric Nkabinde to receive in-service training by the end of this financial year.

We are convinced that the initiatives which we have taken, namely: utilising our new Detective Academy to expose our investigators to modern investigative techniques which include the use of DNA database and the continual deployment of resources to where they are most needed, will correct the initial asymmetry which allowed criminals to go about their enterprise with impunity. I repeat what I said after making a preliminary assessment of Operation Good Hope: "A number of indicators are ticking towards improvement".

Sydney Mufamadi, Minister for Safety and Security, Cape Town, 1999.02.09

A list of arrests made by the police in urban terror cases in the Western Cape.

(all suspects are awaiting trial)

Bombing incidents

1. Two persons have been arrested and are awaiting trial in connection with the bombing at Lansdowne Police Station in January 1998.
2. One person has been arrested and is awaiting trial in connection with the bombing of a private dwelling, 17 Selika Park, Philippi, during January 1998.
3. The explosion in a bakkie during July 1998 in which two persons were killed. They are alleged to have accidentally activated the timing device fitted to the bomb. Two accomplices of the deceased have been arrested and are awaiting trial.
4. During September 1998, two pipe bombs were recovered near the house of an alleged Pagad "G-Force" commander. Six arrests were made. The case was provisionally withdrawn.

Drive-by shootings and/or murder of suspected gangsters and/or drug lords.

5. The murder of alleged gang boss, Mr Jackie Lonti, alias Neville Herald, in Belgravia Road, Athlone, during November 1998. One person has been arrested and is awaiting trial.
6. The murder of a visitor to the home of alleged gang boss, Mr Kaldimilah Madat, in Mitchell's Plain during November 1998. One person has been arrested and is awaiting trial.
7. The murder of a four-year-old Sedicka Hendricks during an attack on her father's house. This attack took place in Athlone during November 1998. This scene was subsequently visited by the President. One person has been arrested and is awaiting trial. He is linked with DNA evidence.
8. An attack in Ocean View in November 1998 during which seven-year-old Christel Abrahams was killed in cross fire. Five people have been arrested and are awaiting trial.