Pretoria - The MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko and provincial police commissioner lieutenant-general Elias Mawela are leading a massive Okae Molao crime operation across Mabopane.
The anti-crime programme is an integrated law enforcement operation targeting various crimes across the province, focusing on the tracing of suspects wanted for gender-based violence, contact crimes, property related crimes and other priority crimes.
Motorists in Mabopane and surrounding areas were surprised by several roadblocks and stop and search operations very early this morning in some of the busiest streets and intersections in the Tshwane township.
Some members of the SA National Defence Force, the metro police and SAPS stopped countless numbers of taxis and private vehicles at the intersection on the entrance to Morula Sun Casino and Morula Shopping Centre.
People who were found to be in contravention of any part of the law were handed fines, warnings and some were arrested for investigations into their crimes.
The police teams also enforced Covid-19 lockdown regulations such as social distancing and making sure motorists and pedestrians were wearing their face masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Residents of Morula View, Nakedi Masha and Kenneth Mohlala said they were pleased to see such massive police action in the township because criminals have been running amok, breaking into people's homes and stealing other people's cars.
Mohlala said: "We need these kind of operations on a regular basis to remind the criminals that they do not own our community.
"We have a lot of informal settlements here and some criminals have taken advantage and are using them to hide themselves and hide stolen property.
“This kind of police work is needed, and the police must also raid all the other notorious spots," said Mohlala.
Pretoria News