Five new police vehicles, as well as members from Special Tactical units have been added to help fight crime in Orlando, Soweto, following the death of 15 people at KwaMdlalose tavern in Orlando East Soweto. This announcement was made by Police Minister Bheki Cele at a community Imbizo in the area on Monday.
Speaking at a community Imbizo, attended by Mayor Mpho Phalatse, Provincial Police Commissioner Elias Mawela, as well as councillor Mohau Molefe, Cele said he would be beefing up police visibility in the area, with an additional five vehicles set to assist with crime in the area.
Cele also announced that he would, as of today, dispatch members of Amaberete known for their no-nonsense approach to crime, adding that calls by the Nomzamo community to have the unit patrol the street has been acceded to.
"I have ordered five more cars to help fight crime in the community of Orlando. Here are the cars that I have been talking about. They have arrived and will soon be branded to help solve crime in the area," Cele said following the community Imbizo.
Cele says he and his team will make sure that the unit and the other interventions will not be withdrawn without speaking to the community first.
Cele says, by the end of the year, the country will have additional police members who will be graduating from training, adding that Covid-19 had affected the recruitment of new police memberd as the force was 20 000 down.
"We have recruited 10 000 police who are currently undergoing training who will start working on December 15. More than 5000 new police will be recruited in the new financial year, and we are awaiting budget for that to happen," he said.
Cele added that a more proactive approach is needed to end lawlessness in the community after community members said the police had been refusing to come to Nomzamo at night.
"We need to seal this area and conduct a door-to-door campaign to confiscate guns in this area as they have become toys. The fact that AK47s were used in this incident shows that there is an oversupply of guns. For that we need a door-to-door campaign to root out crime an guns. We urge those who have guns to voluntarily bring them, "he said.
With incidents of gender-based violence and rape against women being at an all time high, Cele urged members of the.community and families to help the police bring the scourge of GBV under control.
"At least 10 000, women between January and March, have been raped, with 59% raped in their homes by uncles, husband's, stepfather and family members. We ask families to help us as police cannot manage such cases without their help. Families should be part of the fight against GBV perpetuated by family members," he said.