POLICE are continuing to search for the Finetown spree shooters who attacked 11 people, leaving seven dead and four injured.
Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela led Operation Okae Molao, joined by the MEC for community safety Faith Mazibuko, and other police officials, while Police Minister Bheki Cele oversaw the operation in Finetown, Ennerdale, on Saturday night, 5 November.
The operation was conducted in search of the Finetown gunmen.
As the operation proceeded, no one was spared if found to be on the wrong side of the law.
Cele said within 10 minutes of the operation, 10 people had already been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Cele said he was overseeing the operation while also engaging with community members, asking them if they were at war with the police because of the operation. “Most of them said that they are not irritated, in fact they like this and they wish that the operations could happen frequently,” said the minister.
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The minister said they are trying to respond to the call of the community for more police visibility and will give the community the extra resources they have requested.
Ensuring that there is safety in all communities, MEC for community safety Faith Mazibuko said they have already started recruiting the 6 000 officers who will be deployed at ward level and will be wardens, while others will go for training so they are able to fly drones within their areas.
“We’re already purchasing high-powered vehicles, each and every ward here in Gauteng is going to have a response vehicle and each and every household will have an e-panic button which will enable residents to call for help,” she said.
Meanwhile, 112 suspects were apprehended by Joburg Central Cluster Stations for various offences during crime combating operations with other law enforcement agencies conducted from 4 November to 6 November.
According to Captain Xoli Mbele, suspects were arrested around Mondeor, Sophiatown, Brixton, Fairlands, Langlaagte, Booysens, Moffatview and Joburg Central.
“Among the suspects who were arrested during the operations, two suspects were apprehended for business robbery, two for house robbery, eight for domestic violence, three for armed robbery, five for common robbery, one for murder and 19 for drunk driving,” said Mbele.
She said the rest of the suspects were arrested for common assault, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, theft, fraud, shoplifting, malicious damage to property, possession of drugs, dealing in drugs, selling liquor without a license, housebreaking and for being in the country without documentation.
