Police Deputy Minister, Cassel Mathale, says maximum resources have been deployed to prevent and combat all forms of criminality as the country ushers in the busy festive season period.
Together with National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, Mathale on Monday led a delegation of senior officers from the national headquarters to assess Limpopo’s safer festive season operational plan.
This followed the nationwide launch of the safer festive season campaign in November.
In a statement, SAPS spokesperson, Colonel Athlenda Mathe, said: “Heightened police visibility in the form of stop and search operations, vehicle checkpoints, crime awareness campaigns, patrols and compliance inspections at borders, liquor outlets and second hand goods dealers are among the police actions that are being undertaken to ensure that everyone in the country is safe during the busy festive season.”
In Limpopo, she said the focus was centred around preventing and combatting mob justice, GBVF, stock theft and rural safety in general.
She said in the previous quarter starting 1 July ending 31 October 2022, 51 murders emanating from mob justice were reported across the five districts of the province.
The Deputy Minister said while the SAPS management was implementing an all hands on deck operational approach to ensure a safer festive season for all people in South Africa, communities must also play their part.
“The efficiency of the police will be enhanced through community participation since crime itself happens in communities. The collaboration between communities and police is the key that will help us to fight and defeat criminality. We will continue to intensify our efforts to clamp down on criminality,” said Mathale.
Mathe said the nationwide assessment of Police operations will continue in all provinces to ensure the effectiveness and optimise the positive impact of the safer festive season operational plan.
The safer festive season operational plan focusses on six areas which include the prevention and combating of GBVF, armed robberies, enforcement of legislation, enhancement of border security and road safety.
Source: South African Government News Agency