CRIMINALS who shoot at police will be applying for their death certificates.
Police Minister Bheki Cele briefed the media in Pretoria on Sunday, 10 December, that police will not hesitate to shoot to kill.
He said that’s the only choice they have to defend themselves and the communities they serve.
“Over 62 hardened criminals were killed during shoot-out with police in the past six months. It goes without saying that when criminals confront police, we will respond accordingly,” he said.
Cele regrettably said police have lost some of their members during these shoot-outs.
“Police are going toe-to-toe with criminals and police are coming out victorious. In the last eight months, police have arrested more than 75 wanted CIT suspects,” he said.
He pointed out that cops will be on high alert as the festive season is around the corner.
He said this period is known for festivities and increased migration of people within and across Mzansi borders.
Cele said in the coming days, the bite of police will be stronger as they welcome 10 thousand new officers.
“With just 15 days to go before Christmas Day, the Police Ministry and SAPS management would like to outright assure the nation that all hands are on deck as the police, to protect citizens and their properties. The holiday season is also a time where criminals sharpen and refine their operations, taking advantage of the festive mood."
He said various interventions, including Operation Shanela, have proven successful, as 259 793 suspects were arrested for different crimes.
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Over 3 200 firearms, including 2 500 handguns and 300 rifles, have been taken off the streets, and 1 717 hijacked or stolen vehicles have been recovered from May to date.
Cele said GBV and femicide-related crimes remain a priority for the SAPS, and officers urged to continue to improve their services to victims and survivors of these crimes.
He said this week alone, police have seized R151 million-rand worth of cocaine at the Durban Harbour, and Limpopo SAPS intercepted a minibus taxi and bakkies carrying more than 130 undocumented nationals from Zimbabwe coming to Polokwane on Thursday evening.
“At least 73 children between the ages of 6 months old and 17 years of age were among the occupants."
Cele also mentioned that on Wednesday, 6 December, a multidisciplinary team from Kimberley intercepted a bus that was travelling from Pretoria to Cape Town with 14 undocumented children between the ages of 6 and 14 years.
Cele cautioned those who will be sharing their stokvel dividends to refrain from carrying large amounts of money as criminals usually target these unsuspecting victims and rob them of their hard-earned money.
“We know that around the Festive Season, criminals will go to any lengths to get their hands on cash. Cash-in-transit ambushes tend to increase during this time. In response to these criminal opportunistic acts, the SAPS has established teams in each province to prevent and combat cash-in-transit robberies. It must be noted that in recent months and weeks, our members have done exceptionally well in terms of intercepting these criminals at addresses utilised by these gangs as ‘safe houses’ before the robberies would unfold,” he said.
