Cape Town - Deadbeat parents who don’t pay maintenance for their children were dragged out of bed this week as police and justice officials swooped on their homes during a night-long blitz.
The raid - a joint operation between the departments of justice and constitutional development, and the police – traced 48 alleged maintenance defaulters.
A total of 400 officials participated in the operation which started at 11pm on Wednesday night and ended at 6am on Thursday. It took in
Atlantis, Mitchells Plain and Nyanga.
Among those arrested was a 61-year-old grandfather from Atlantis who had failed to comply with a maintenance order issued against him by the Mossel Bay Magistrate’s Court.
According to the law, if parents are unable to provide maintenance for their children, a maintenance order can be made against the paternal grandparents.
Provincial justice head Hishaam Mohamed, who joined the men in blue as they swooped on maintenance dodgers, said the aim was to encourage parents to regularly pay maintenance for their children.
He said Thursday night’s operation, led by the SAPS, was part of the justice department’s main focus during Women’s Month celebrations.
“The police also reported that, during this joint operation, they tried to execute 1 073 other warrants in line with their Operation Basadi, in respect of gender-based violence,” he added.
“These are crimes of sexual assault, domestic violence and other crimes committed against women.”
Weekend Argus