By OBAKENG MAJE
6 February 2025- The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng said they have arrested 20 470 suspects for a variety of offences during the annual Safer Festive Season Operations. Morweng said this included 1258 undocumented foreign nationals and 129 suspects for murder.
He further said since November 2024, they have been absorbed by the resurfacing of illegal miners in Stilfontein. Morweng added that, as had been reported in several media engagements, 1916 illegal miners have been arrested after resurfacing at Margaret and Buffelsfontein Gold Mine at Shafts Number 10 and 11 between August 2024 and January 2025.
“We have activated the annual Safer Festive Operations at the Mmabatho Stadium in Mahikeng on 17 October 2024. The operation itself had begun two weeks earlier on 1 October 2024.
“The Operation which was led by the South African Police Services (SAPS), is a multi-disciplinary PROVJOINTS coordinated operation composed of the different pillars or identified threats and executed in pre-determined phases,” he said.
Morweng said during the provincial activation, the different law enforcement and security agencies were deployed to execute their line function operational mandates as encompassed in the different Operational Focus Pillars or areas. He said the operation had been highly successful in that law enforcement officers were able to among others foil planned Cash-in-Transit and ATM bombings.
“The operation was intended to focus but not limited to prevention of crimes against vulnerable groups, the elderly, women and children, as well as people with disability. Combatting aggravated robberies including vehicle hijackings, robberies at residential premises and business robberies.
“Enhancing border security and preventing stolen property from crossing the borders. Combating drugs and human trafficking and tracing of wanted suspects enforcement of legislation in respect of firearms, liquor and second-hand goods,” said Morweng.
He said they also ensured that there is compliance with Safety of the Sports and Recreational Events Act (SASREA). Morweng said they enforced by-laws targeting hijacked buildings, unlawful sale and use of fire crackers.
“Joint law enforcement operations to ensure compliance with road safety and other road regulations. Combatting drunken driving, speeding and all moving violations. Inspection of vehicles for roadworthiness. The operation will also be on the lookout for cloned vehicles and cloned licence plates.
“Relentless multi-disciplinary operations, had also confiscated contrabands ranging from counterfeit goods, expired foods, as well as suspected stolen and robbed goods,” he said.
Morweng said it is as a result of these targeted intelligence led-operations, that the province had a relatively quieter festive period. He said there were festivities across the province, including Mahika Mahikeng Cultural Music Festival, the annual Makapanstad Trooper Festival and the Potchefstroom Dam Music Festival.
“We also had tourists visiting Sun City and Hartbeespoort Dam, but all those went with no incident thanks to this Safer Festive Operations. We did experience some uneasiness at some point, especially in December 2024, when there were unusually long queues of trucks at three of the province’s commercial ports of entry with Botswana at Kopfontein, Ramatlabama and Swartkopfontein.
“This followed the new regulations at the border on the Botswana side which resulted in gridlock. This posed health, security and economic threats and needed an urgent intervention,” said Morweng.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson the PROVJOINTS and acting North West Police Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng said: “I immediately engaged the Botswana authorities and within two days the traffic congestion and logjam were eased allowing free unobstructed movement of goods and people between the two countries.
“Furthermore, our operations included visitations to licensed liquor dispensing premises and second-hand good dealers to ensure they comply with the law. We closed down 481 unlicensed liquor premises as they contravened regulations.”
Asaneng said application of the law and compliance enforcement was not only confined to ordinary members of the community. He said they had also recently arrested four police officers in connection with the escape of one of the resurfaced illegal miners, Neo ‘Tiger’ Tshoaeli.
“A week ago, they arrested two suspects who had crossed the border and were found to be in possession of crystal meth with an estimated street value of over R30 million in Zeerust.
“Two weeks ago, we also arrested three suspects in Hartbeespoort Dam with hijacked goods worth more than R2 million Rand. The highlights of some of the successes of these operations by law enforcement are highlighted by the five life terms that were imposed on the accused who was found guilty of aggravated robberies and five counts rape,” said Asaneng.
He said other is triple life sentences imposed on a rape accused, who was found guilty of three counts of rape committed between May 2010 and September 2023. Asaneng said sadly, this criminality which knows no bounds claimed the life of Sergeant Fundiswa Motlhaoleng (45), who was gunned down on 14 January 2025, in Klerksdorp as she was on her way to work.
The Guardian 