Police ready for elections deployment
POLICE Minister Bheki Cele and provincial Commissioner Khombinkosi Jula will today address and inspect a law enforcement parade prior to their deployment to various polling stations before the elections on Wednesday.
Cele on Thursday outlined a massive deployment of state security machinery and officers, particularly to the “hot spot” provinces, as a stabilisation mechanism before the elections.
Cele said that ever since the announcement of the date of the general election by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS) had been hard at work analysing the safety and security situation in the country and putting measures in place to protect all citizens as they exercised their constitutional right to choose the political party of their choice in the elections.
Also over the weekend, police made several breakthroughs in their fight against crime in the province. Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said a 32-year-old man had been arrested on Saturday afternoon in possession of two 9mm pistols, three magazines and 43 9mm rounds.
He said the police were on patrol in Yusuff Dadoo Street in Tambo Village when they noticed a man behaving suspiciously. He started running when he saw the police approach him.
“The members followed him and found him in possession of the firearms. The suspect was arrested and detained at Manenberg police station,” Van Wyk said.
Meanwhile, members of the Major Offence Reaction Team had engaged in crime-prevention duties in Elsies River.
Van Wyk said they had arrested two suspects, one in possession of 370 mandrax tablets as well as 13 dagga cigarettes, and the second one, possibly a gang member, had been arrested for wearing a police uniform.
He said that once charged the three suspects, aged 23, 25 and 32, would appear in the Athlone and Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Courts for the illegal possession of firearms, prohibited firearms and ammunition, dealing in drugs and the illegal possession of a police uniform.
In another incident, Van Wyk said that Kraaifontein police attached to the Provincial Intervention Task Team had arrested two suspects, aged 18 and 20 years old, for possession of unlicensed firearms on Saturday.
Metro police spokesperson Ruth Solomons said that on Sunday they had arrested a suspect for the illegal possession of two firearms.
Solomons said the officers attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver refused and sped off.
“Officers pursued the vehicle until it came to a standstill in Thames Avenue. Four suspects got out and fled in various directions. “The pursuit continued on foot between the flats and was cut short when one of the suspects fell in a field he had attempted to cross and was apprehended.”
Solomons said that when the officers took the suspect back to the vehicle they discovered a home-made rifle zip gun with two live rounds of ammunition, and a revolver.
“The 20-year-old suspect was arrested and transported to Manenberg police station where he was detained. It was later discovered that the vehicle driven by the suspects had been hijacked in Guguletu the previous night,” Solomons said.