Tag Archives: The National Police Commissioner

Deployment of SANDF will respond to widespread crime

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Picture: SANDF deployed to assist police in combating crime

By OBAKENG MAJE

16 March 2026- The national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola said the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) represent an important milestone in the strengthening of their collective national response to crime and serious violence in the country. Masemola said during the joint briefing that National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) met not merely to announce an operational deployment, but to reaffirm a fundamental principle, that the authority of the state will always prevail over criminality, intimidation and lawlessness.

He further said South Africans have rightly expressed deep concern about the levels of violent crime, the activities of organised criminal syndicates, and safety concerns in some communities. Masemola added that these concerns are legitimate and as the leadership of the JCPS cluster departments, they have taken the responsibility to respond decisively, strategically and with the full capability of the state.

“It is in this context that president Cyril Ramaphosa during the State of the Nation Address (SOPA), directed that the government intensify its fight against organised crime and strengthen cooperation between the security cluster departments.

“In his recent response to oral questions in Parliament, the president further emphasised that the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in cooperation with the South African Police Service (SAPS), forms part of a broader national effort to confront organised criminal networks, deal with

crime, stabilise affected communities and restore public confidence in law enforcement,” said Masemola.

He said NATJOINTS guided by this directive, Ramaphosa has authorised the deployment of the SANDF in cooperation with the SAPS under Operation Prosper. Masemola said this deployment spans a period of 13 months, with over 2000 members of the SANDF deployed across the country.

“The intervention will focus on the hotpots areas which includes and not limited to, Free State, Gauteng, North West, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape — areas that have been identified through intelligence and crime analysis as being significantly affected by criminal activity.

“The purpose of this intervention is to provide space to the SAPS to deal with both street crime and to disrupt, disable and dismantle organised crime groupings through a coordinated operational framework where the SANDF and SAPS will work together to stabilise crime-affected areas and restore the rule of law in communities where criminal networks have sought to undermine the authority of the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chief of SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya shared the same sentiments. Maphwanya said South Africa today faces complex organised-crime threats that extend beyond conventional criminal activity.

“In the Free State, Gauteng and North West, sophisticated illicit mining criminal groups continue to exploit abandoned and active mining infrastructure, generating enormous illicit financial flows, fuelling violence between gangs and rival groups, damaging essential infrastructure and contributing to environmental degradation.

“At the same time, gang-related violence in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng continues to drive high levels of murder, extortion, drug trafficking and illegal firearm proliferation, devastating communities and trapping many young people in cycles of violence. These criminal dynamics are not isolated. They are interconnected and often linked to illegal migration, illicit firearms trafficking, corruption networks and attacks on essential infrastructure,” he said.

Maphwanya said the scale, sophistication and persistence of these criminal activities have resulted in this extraordinary and integrated response by the government. He said this is precisely what this joint deployment seeks to achieve.

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Police probe allegations of existing Lesotho Military Camps in SA

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Picture: Lesotho Military during training/Generic

By REGINALD KANYANE

26 July 2025- The National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola has met with all nine provincial commissioners for each province during a scheduled Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting to discuss crime combatting efforts in the country. The BOC is the highest decision making body of the SAPS inclusive of all Provincial Commissioners, Divisional Commissioners and the Acting National Head for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation(DPCI).

During the meeting, Masemola highlighted his satisfaction that organised crime syndicates in the country are being dismantled, dislodged, displaced and arrested. The comments made by the Lesotho Police Chief, Advocate Borotho Matsoso were high on the agenda.

“A preliminary report from the crime intelligence division was discussed in which intelligence structures have highlighted that they have heightened their operations to investigate allegations made and where necessary, track down and takedown such illegal activities.

“The DPCI also known as the HAWKS Crimes Against the State (CATS) unit has also been roped in to investigate. Various searches have been undertaken by CATS at various identified farms and no such evidence has been found to date,” he said.

Masemola further reached out to the Lesotho Police Chief, where the two commissioners discussed the allegations made by Matsoso. He added that, commissioners agreed that both law enforcement agencies intelligence structures are on the ground to investigate the existence of such camps.

“We assure all people living in South Africa that the safety and security of the people of SA is of paramount importance and anyone who is found to be in the country committing illegal acts will face the full might of the law.

“To this effect, intelligence structures and operatives are on the ground to establish facts. South Africans are urged not to panic or worry as police from both countries remain on high alert,” said Masemola.

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Portfolio Committee on Police applauds investigating team amid recovery of the bodies of police constables

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Picture: Three missing police constables found dead

By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI

30 April 2025- The National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has confirmed that the bodies found at the Hennops river in Centurion, near the N1 highway in Pretoria, are those of the police constables who went missing last week while enroute to Limpopo. Addressing the media along the N1 in Pretoria on Tuesday, Masemola said the bodies of the three missing constables, Keamogetswe Buys, Boipelo Senoge and Cebekhulu Linda, have been found.

“It is with deep sorrow that I confirm that our three members have been found, together with two other bodies, one being an admin clerk that is attached to our Lyttelton Police Station.

“This as police had earlier reported that the constables went missing on 23 April 2025. The police searched everywhere for our three missing police officers and the high-level team that had been tasked with investigating their disappearance spent sleepless nights combing the length and breadth of Gauteng, Free State and Limpopo,” he said.

Masemola further said following all possible leads and after studying all evidence that they had gathered, their investigation led them to between the Grasmere Toll Plaza on the N1, past the Buccleuch interchange, onto John Voster drive.

“We had hoped to find our three police officers safe, unharmed and alive, but this is not the case. The two women constables, Buys (30) and Senoge (20) and a male constable Linda (24), were travelling in a white VW Polo sedan from Bloemfontein to their area of deployment in Limpopo when they went missing.

“At the time of their disappearance, the officers were off duty. In a statement on Saturday, the police appealed to members of the public for assistance in finding the missing constables and on Sunday,” said Masemola.

He said the Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya and him, met with the team involved in investigating the officers’ disappearance. Masemola said the police delegation also met the officers’ families at the weekend.

“On Monday, the investigation and search led police to the Hennops River in Centurion. With the assistance of the South African Police Service (SAPS) drone pilots, cybercrime unit, HAWKS, Crime and counter-intelligence unit, SAPS and Gauteng Traffic Airwing, as well as the Bidvest Protea Coin Airwing, the police first found pieces of vehicle parts believed to be of a VW polo along the N1.

“The police were then led to the banks of the river, where they found a Renault Kangoo panel van. Our SAPS and Tshwane divers immediately commenced with the search, where we discovered two bodies, one of the driver of the Renault panel van who it just came to light that he is one of our employees attached to the Lyttelton Police Station and the second body was that of Constable Senoge,” he said.

Masemola said they had to abandon the search as it was already dark. He said in the morning, the third body was discovered, which is believed to be that of Cebekhulu.

“We further found a fourth decomposed body. We are still trying to identify who this person is. Later in the afternoon, we sadly found the fifth body of Buys.

“The families were taken to the mortuary, where they identified the bodies of the officials. We are still searching for the VW Polo and our investigation is continuing,” said Masemola.

He said they do not want to speculate at this stage what led to the discovery of these bodies in this river, whether it was an accident or not, their investigation will reveal those aspects once they find their vehicle. Masemola said they would like to thank the families, and the task team involved in the search for working tirelessly to ensure a breakthrough in this case.

“The police were hoping for a positive outcome in the case. Be that as it may, we are relieved that we could provide the painful closure to the families and the broader SAPS family. Investigations are still continuing into this matter,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, has expressed deep sadness and disbelief following the identification of four bodies of members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), including three officers who went missing for over a week.

Cameron has called for the intensification of the investigation to ascertain the circumstances that led to the death of the officers.

“It is heart-breaking to learn of the death of the SAPS officers when we were all hoping that they might be found alive and well.

“This tragic loss is not only felt by the family but by all within the law enforcement sector as these were committed officers on their way to their assigned duty,” he said.

Cameron also highlighted the need for the SAPS to investigate the cause of death of the other two bodies retrieved in the Hennops River. He said it is unusual that so many unrelated bodies could be found in one area.

“An intensive investigation must get to the bottom of what has happened to all the dead bodies. We also commend SAPS for the speed with which the investigation was undertaken and urged for such speed to be the standard across the board.

“Trust between the SAPS and communities will be re-established if all cases are handled with such compassion, care and diligence,” said Cameron.

He said the SAPS specialised teams, who worked tirelessly over the past six days across several provinces to locate the missing individuals must be commended. Cameron said, however, serious questions remain and they will monitor the progress of the investigation closely.

“The committee extends its heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased during this painful time,” he said.

Additional reporting- SAnews.gov.za

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