Latest news with #OperationShanela
The Citizen
9 hours ago
- The Citizen
West Rand crime crackdown leads to 97 arrests
Following a high-density law enforcement operation on the West Rand between July 25 and 27, numerous offenders are behind bars. Spokesperson for the Gauteng Traffic Police, Sello Maremane, said these operations were conducted by numerous law enforcement agencies, such as Gauteng Traffic Police, Gauteng Traffic Wardens and police. He said in the City of Johannesburg, they arrested 39 suspects for charges including possession of drugs, armed robbery, contravention of the immigration act and possession of substances suspected to be drugs. He added that 885 people and 140 vehicles were searched in the city. In the West Rand District Municipality, he revealed they arrested 97 suspects for charges including driving under the influence of alcohol, assault, shoplifting, substances suspected to be drugs and damage to infrastructure. 'Notably, 60 suspects were arrested during Operation Shanela targeting Fochville, Mohlakeng, Muldersdrift, Khutsong and Kagiso. 'The Gauteng Traffic Police commends the law enforcement officials on working together to eliminate criminality in our communities. Members of the public are reminded to comply with officials and report any suspicious behaviour to their nearest police station,' he concluded.
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Saps probes officers after video shows police offloading beer bottles at liquor store
Gauteng police are investigating claims that officers sold seized bottles from a Saps storage facility. The South African Police Service (Saps) district commissioner in Ekurhuleni has ordered an investigation into members of the Duduza Police Station for allegedly selling empty beer bottles at a bottle store. A video recording is circulating on social media, showing Duduza police officers allegedly selling empty beer bottles at a local liquor store. There was speculation that the police were offloading alcohol at a bottle store. Watch the video below: Allegedly a SAPS van From Duduza Police station offloading alcohol — Mageba (@Sadmethod) July 29, 2025 Video of Saps unloading crates of alcohol at a bottle store The video depicts a marked South African Police Service (Saps) van parked at in front of Dunnottar Bottle Store. Saps personnel are seen unloading large crates of alcohol in a coordinated and deliberate manner and placing them inside the store premises. Social media users shared the footage, which raised suspicions that officers were illegally distributing confiscated alcohol. ALSO READ: How successful is Operation Shanela? Here's how many cases resulted in convictions The Gauteng police said that a report from the station stated that the members were disposing of empty beer bottles from the Saps 13 storage on Friday, 25 July. However, Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili clarified that the bottles seen in the video were empty and had been seized during operations at illegal shebeens. However, the members decided to sell the bottles at the local liquor store and deposited the cash into the police station's account. Internal disciplinary action 'Initial investigation suggests that there is cause to institute an internal disciplinary action because the decision to sell empty beer bottles as a form of disposal contravenes Saps National Instruction 8 of 2017, which outlines processes to follow when disposing of Saps 13 store items,' Muridili said. Earlier this month, the Saps initiated an investigation into a viral TikTok video alleging that a uniformed police officer was intoxicated while on duty. The North West Provincial Commissioner took the claim seriously due to its potential to damage public trust. The police called on two key witnesses from the Patriotic Alliance and Operation Dudula to assist urgently, warning that spreading unverified claims without reporting them could lead to obstruction of justice charges. NOW READ: Two more murder cases linked to suspects in DJ Sumbody killing
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Here is how many Operation Shanela cases resulted in conviction
The police ministry recently stated that millions had been arrested under Operation Shanela, but convictions were slow to materialise. Police across South Africa have been rounding up suspects en masse, but only a fraction of these arrests have resulted in convictions. Operation Shanela recorded more than 14 200 arrests in the past week, adding to the massive number of suspects detained in the last two years. However, the police ministry recently revealed that just less than 6% of Operation Shanela arrests have led to convictions. Operation Shanela in July Operation Shanela focuses on contact and trio crimes such as murder, rape, robbery and assault, as well as drug and alcohol related crimes. Between 21 and 27 July, 172 suspects were arrested in connection with murder cases, 138 for attempted murder and 170 for rape. Additionally, 1 598 were arrested for assault GBH and 1 376 were arrested for possession of drugs. Drunk drivers accounted for 672 arrests, while 324 people were arrested for dealing narcotics. Operation Shanela was launched in May 2023 and the police ministry revealed via a written response to a parliamentary question that 3.68 million cases had been registered since. However, the number of convictions secured in that time amounted to just 215 233. The average number of cases opened per day over a 24 month period would be just over 5 000, while the conviction rate is just under 300 per day. Western Cape led the way with 54 000 convictions, followed by Gauteng with 37 400. Delayed court processes Asked for the breakdown based on gender, the ministry stated that performing such an analysis would be 'tedious' as it involved the scrutiny of physical dockets held by multiple divisions. 'This exercise will take long to complete, as a result service delivery might be adversely affected taking into consideration all types of crimes involved and may result in the disruption in service delivery,' the written response read. The portfolio committee on correctional services last week heard how slow court processes were leading to an overcrowding of prisons. The committee heard how 57 800 inmates were currently being held while trials were ongoing. Correctional services officials listed the reasons why court proceedings were regularly postponed for those both remanded and out on bail. These included repeated changing of legal representatives, the absence of witnesses and co-accused, as well as the loss of court records, among others. NPA success rates African Criminal Justice Reform (ACJR) in a previous report for the Dullah Omar Institute outlined how prosecutors approached criminal matters. 'The prosecution anticipates the defence of the accused, and weighs up whether or not the prosecution will be able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt,' states the report. 'If the chances are not reasonable, the prosecutor may decide not to prosecute.' In the National Prosecuting Authority's 2024 annual report, it listed an 84% success rate for murder prosecutions and a 72% success rate for gender-based violence incidents reported to police. 'The very high success rates of cases which are prosecuted… suggest that reasonable prospects are interpreted as being an almost certainty of conviction,' the ACJR report states. NOW READ: Police told crime victim to investigate their own case
eNCA
4 days ago
- eNCA
WC police shortage cripples operations
CAPE TOWN - In a country struggling to rein in its crime problem, the Western Cape consistently ranks as one of the provinces with a high murder rate. In June Operation Shanela 2 was launched across the province. It's more police, with a targeted approach because of improved crime intelligence. The establishment of an anti-gang unit and frequent raids by Operation Shanela officers, are having minimal impact. Gang and extortion related killings continue, especially on the Cape Flats. There has been a spate of mass killings. Seven people were shot dead one incident in Gugulethu. And between June and July dozens of people have been killed in gang related violence on the Cape Flats. The City of Cape Town plans to add 700 more police officers. They will be deployed in September after 18 months of specialised training. The province has also launched crime prevention programmes at schools. Planet Youth has also been rolled out at schools and targets substance abuse among grade 8 and 9 pupils. The programme aims to shield young people from the temptation of joining gangs, and offers them a safer, supportive environment.
The Citizen
23-07-2025
- The Citizen
21 arrested for serious crimes in massive West Rand police sweep
Over 500 people and 136 vehicles were recently searched, resulting in 21 arrests during a massive police operation across the West Rand. The operations focused on high-crime areas including Westonaria, Randfontein, Magaliesburg, Khutsong and Carletonville. Offences included contravention of the Immigration Act, drunk driving, possession of suspected drugs, murder and illegal possession of explosives. According to Gauteng Traffic Police spokesperson Sello Maremane, nearly 400 suspects were arrested during high-density operations and Operation Shanela held from July 18–20 by Gauteng Traffic Police, Gauteng Traffic Wardens, the police and metro police departments, among others. In the City of Johannesburg, 56 suspects were arrested for charges of possession of drugs, driving under the influence of alcohol, contravention of the immigration act, common robbery and other offences. 'It is notable that more than 163 suspects have been arrested across the province for driving under the influence of alcohol. This is a serious crime and will not be tolerated, as it compromises the safety of other road users. Law enforcement agencies will continue to work together in removing criminal elements and lawlessness in the province.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
