The MEC for Transport and Community Safety Mr Namane Dickson Masemola and the Acting Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Major General Jan Scheepers officiated the launch of Operation “Swara Tsotsi ” in the City of Polokwane on Friday, 28 June 2019.
The following numbers echoed how huge a success the launch of the operation was, within about three (3) hours;
309 people arrested for various crimes such as assault, theft, burglaries, rape, etc. Three firearms were recovered, 146,367 vehicles searched, 150 traffic summons issued, one Taxi operating illegally was impounded and 610 people were searched.
The aim of this crime busting operation dubbed “Operation Swara Tsotsi” is to ensure that criminals are dealt with effectively and that all crime hotspots are shut down. The operation will see police pulling together from all levels of command to sift through criminal activities in the towns, townships, villages, shopping centers, industrial areas, taxi ranks and all the public areas to ensure safety to the citizens and reclaim the streets of Limpopo.
Such a multidisciplinary approach operations will be sustained across the province with sub-operations focussing on various problematic areas including drugs, unlicensed businesses, illegal firearms and ammunition, liquor control, undocumented immigrants etc.
The operations are made out of various role players such as the Government Departments, all police operational units in partnership with the community based crime structures and are conducted through stop and searches, roadblocks, raiding of unlicensed businesses, tracing of wanted suspects patrols, etc.
The launch commenced with the Multidisciplinary parade in the City of Polokwane near Polokwane Police Station where members were addressed by the MEC.
The Saps Units comprised of the Crime Intelligence, the Hawks, Public Order Policing (POP), Mounted Unit, K9 Unit, the Tactical Response Team (TRT), Accident Responders, the Air-wing, the Crime Prevention, the Detectives, members from the Provincial Components. Other role players are, Polokwane Municipal Community Safety, the Provincial and Municipal Traffic Police, the Department of Home Affairs and the Emergency Services.
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