EASTERN CAPE – On the eve of the release of the National Crime Statistics of cases reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Police Ministry has authourised for immediate National policing interventions to improve crime detection, police investigations and the tracking and tracing of suspects in and around the OR Tambo District in the Eastern Cape.

This intervention which will see detective teams at national level descend on to the area, comes as Police Minister, General Bheki Cele, State Security Deputy Minister, Zizi Kodwa and the SAPS management on Tuesday, 22 November 2022, visited Bityi in the Eastern Cape where seven family members were massacred.

According to police reports, the relatives were in mourning and arranging for the burial of another family member who was fatally shot last week. It is alleged that three armed men, forced their way into the Tantseka homestead in Bityi and opened fire, killing seven people aged between 29 and 68. The shooting incident saw residents of Bityi use the Ministers visit to express their crime concerns, including what they term ineffective local policing.

While police are yet to make arrests for the multiple murders, Minister Cele says whoever commits crime needs to be arrested, this can never be negotiable.

“The Eastern Cape is showing increased cases of organized crime and taxi violence as well as cases of extortion and theft, however it is worrying that the crimes don’t match the police work and it’s as if criminals just know they will not get caught. This is why I am calling on this national intervention by the SAPS to take this district under its wing, find the symptoms and provide diagnosis of policing challenges and in the shortest time, provide full treatment to ensure the stations are empowered to respond efficiently and effectively to crime, on behalf of communities.”

The proposed national policing intervention in the OR Tambo district, will see the detective services of the SAPS and entities of the Police Ministry, including the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) together with the Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service work on diagnosis report on the 18 police stations in the area.

The intervention aims to address resource challenges impeding police work and implement turnaround programs to equip the station and its members to better respond to crime.

The Police Ministry will on Wednesday, 23 November 2022, release the National Crime Statistics reflecting crimes reported to the SAPS from July and September 2022.

Source: South African Police Service