The 11 men involved in a violent shootout with policemen after a foiled robbery in Tulisa Park last Thursday will appear at the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Monday.
Two suspects were killed when the group, which attempted to rob several businesses, exchanged heavy fire with the police. A security guard was also caught in the crossfire.
After the dust had settled, the police recovered two AK-47s and eight handguns at the crime scene.
To counter such crimes, which are expected to be on the increased as the festive season approaches, the SA Police Service (SAPS) has launched the National SAPS Safer Festive Operation to increase police visibility.
In a statement on Monday, the police said: “The national launch serves as a precursor to the provincial launches, ushering in a season of heightened visibility countrywide coupled with intensified, integrated crime-prevention and crime-combatting operations, as the police strive to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all the residents and tourists during and beyond the festive season.”
The festive season campaign, which will stretch until the end of January 2023, will focus on certain key areas including gender-based violence.
“All nine provinces will conduct operations in line with the national policing strategy focusing on these priorities: First, the SAPS will intensify campaigns and police actions towards addressing the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide [GBVF], which includes intimate crimes committed against women, children and other vulnerable people. This will include the tracing of wanted GBVF perpetrators.
“Second, the SAPS will intensify efforts to combat aggravated robberies including carjackings, robberies at residential premises and business robberies. The third focus area will be to enhance border security characterised by search operations, illegal crossing of borders, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and tracing of wanted suspects.”
The police will also focus their efforts on the enforcement of legislation around the proliferation of illegal firearms.
“We will also be enforcing legislation applicable to liquor, second-hand goods, as well as the safety of the sports and recreational events. Another focus area will be to enforce the by-laws and ensuring the enforcement of road safety together with metro and national traffic law-enforcement officers.”
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