PARKTOWN – Gauteng Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, was joined by the Gauteng Premier, Mr Panyaza Lesufi and Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Ms Faith Mazibuko, during the launch of the Provincial Safer Festive Season Operations. The event that was held at Isak Steyn Stadium in Vanderbijlpark on Friday, 04 November 2002,
During the delivery of his overview of the operations, Lieutenant General Mawela assured the people in Gauteng that there will be more boots on the ground and that police visibility will be enhanced this festive season.
“More police will be deployed at the festive season hotspots that include taxi ranks, bus terminals, train stations and places of entertainment. People should expect more roadblocks, particularly on the national roads that are used as exits and entrances to the province. “Starting from the 15th of October until the 31st of January next year we will be intensifying our operations and crime prevention initiatives throughout the province to match the escalation of crime that we experience during the festive season period,” said Lieutenant General Mawela.
The police will this festive season focus on addressing serious and violent crime that includes:
• Gender-based violence and femicide; including domestic violence;
• Business and house robberies;
• Truck and car hijackings;
• Cash-in-transit robberies;
• Substance abuse,
• Dealing with counterfeit goods and contraband,
• Road fatalities and,
• Illegal mining.
To prevent crimes that are usually committed during the festive season, police in Gauteng will also concentrate on the following, over and above other crime-fighting measures that are in place:
• Mobilise and optimise the utilisation of police reservists.
• Increase the 24/7 availability of our human and physical resources by effective management of the annual vacation leave for operational members and the efficient utilisation of vehicles.
• Deploy additional members (the newly appointed constables) to hotspot areas.
• Increase visibility by deploying more police, reservists and patrollers at shopping malls and transport hubs;
• Heighten blue light patrols and static deployments of high-powered vehicles at the major routes and escape routes;
• Control crowds at sports and recreational sites and events.
• Secure properties of residents that have travelled outside the province for the holidays through increased patrols and our continued partnership with private security companies.
• Intensify police operations by conducting high-density saturation operations and sting operations during peak time at the focus areas.
• Unexpected roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints at the identified strategic roads.
• Intensify compliance inspections at second-hand goods dealers.
• Shut down illegal liquor dealers and second-hand goods dealers.
• Zero tolerance for drinking and driving on the roads.
• Recover illegal firearms and drugs as this will always remain our highest priority.
The Gauteng Provincial Community Policing Board, National Liquor Traders Council, Consumer Goods Council and Business Against Crime South Africa pledged to support the police in the fight against crime this festive season.

Source: South African Police Service