The Fight Against Organized Crime: A Progress Report
Hey everyone, let’s talk about the progress we’ve made in fighting organized crime, including illegal mining, in our country. It’s been a tough battle, but we’re making some headway.
Crime has been a real headache for our country, messing with people’s lives, the economy, and the safety of our citizens. Criminals have been causing chaos in our communities, demanding protection fees, and messing with construction sites. It’s been a real mess, but we’re not backing down.
Operation Shanela
Since May 2023, we’ve been cracking down hard on crime. Operation Shanela has been a game-changer, leading to the arrest of over 213,000 suspects for various crimes. We’ve also confiscated thousands of illegal firearms and made significant progress in tackling drug possession and trafficking.
Cash-in-Transit Heists and Robberies
We’re not letting cash-in-transit heists slide either. We’ve nabbed 75 wanted suspects and made some major takedowns, intercepting syndicates and seizing explosives and high-calibre firearms.
Drugs
Our efforts to combat drug trafficking are paying off. We’ve busted drug laboratories and intercepted large quantities of cocaine, worth millions, at our ports and airports. We’re not letting these drugs flood our streets.
Extortion at Economic and Construction Sites
We’re also cracking down on extortion at economic sites. We’ve arrested 61 suspects linked to these extortions and put 27 of them behind bars for a collective 43 years.
Kidnappings for Ransom
Our dedicated teams have been working hard to rescue victims of kidnappings and bring the culprits to justice. We’ve made 98 arrests and rescued over 30 victims, including an 18-year-old student and Portuguese businessmen.
Anti-Gang Unit (AGU)
We’re not ignoring gang violence either. Our Anti-Gang Unit has made 190 arrests in 145 cases, targeting provinces prone to gang violence.
Cross-Border Crimes: Emanguzi Intervention
We’re also taking on cross-border crimes, with a task team making commendable progress in arresting suspects and recovering stolen vehicles and firearms.
Combatting Illegal Mining and Related Crimes
Illegal mining has been a real headache, causing violence, murder, and other serious crimes. We’re not taking this lightly. We’ve deployed a task team to conduct a thorough threat analysis and developed an integrated intervention plan to combat illegal mining and associated crimes.
Arrests and Prosecutions
We’ve been busy with intelligence-driven operations, resulting in the arrest of over 4,000 suspects related to illegal mining. We’re not letting anyone off the hook, whether they’re South African or foreign nationals.
Sealing of Illegal Mines and Shafts
We’re also taking steps to seal off derelict and ownerless mines to prevent further illegal activities.
Legislation and Regulation Framework Review
To strengthen our law enforcement, we’re reviewing legislation and regulations to close any loopholes that criminal syndicates might exploit.
Goals and the Role of Provinces
We’ve set short, medium, and long-term goals to stabilize the situation and have activated Provincial Joints to deal with illegal mining. President Ramaphosa has authorized the deployment of the SANDF to intensify the fight against illegal mining.
In Conclusion
Communities play a crucial role in fighting organized crime and illegal mining. It’s up to all of us to expose illegal activities and report them to the authorities. Let’s work together to make our communities safe and secure.