President Ramaphosa Calls for Unified Effort to Combat Crime Through Operation Shanela

The President highlighted the progress of Operation Shanela, the government’s multi-sectoral crime-fighting strategy.

In his latest weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to collaborate with law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime, emphasizing the shared responsibility of tackling this issue.

“Crime, even if it has not affected us directly, is everybody’s problem. If we continue to work together as government, the business community, labour, and civil society, we can restore the safety and security that is critical to economic activity and the creation of jobs,” President Ramaphosa stated on Monday.

The President highlighted the progress of Operation Shanela, the government’s multi-sectoral crime-fighting strategy. Operation Shanela employs various methods, including roadblocks, stop-and-search operations, foot patrols, and business compliance inspections, to address crime hotspots and combat organized crime syndicates.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), over the past year, Operation Shanela has led to more than 700,000 arrests for crimes such as murder, cash-in-transit robberies, vehicle hijacking, and sexual offenses. Additionally, over 20,000 firearms, including homemade guns and rifles, have been seized, with more than 3,000 of these recovered in the Western Cape, where gang-related gun violence is prevalent.

President Ramaphosa underscored the impact of crime on South Africa’s economic growth and development, noting that specialized task teams have been established to address economic sabotage, including cable theft, vandalism of power installations, illicit mining, and construction site extortion. Over the past five years, 722 suspects involved in construction site extortion have been arrested, with 52 convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 7 months to 89 years.

The President acknowledged the evolving nature of crime, including new challenges such as illicit mining, extortion, kidnappings for ransom, and sophisticated drug manufacturing and smuggling operations. He reiterated the importance of community involvement in supporting the police through structures like community police forums (CPFs).

“If we continue the good work started through Operation Shanela and actively support our police, we can reclaim our homes, businesses, communities, and streets from criminals. Together, we can beat crime and build a safe and secure country,” President Ramaphosa concluded.