WATCH: Boksburg’s increasing crime trends, hijacking attract ‘Operation Shanela’

The teams managed to arrest about 200 suspects in the district for crimes ranging from murders to attempted murders, assaults and robberies.

September 18, 2023

Fanie Mthupha 3 minutes read

Waiting to pounce on their next target at the roadblock in Boksburg are Boksburg SAPS station commander Colonel Matshedeso Mbele and deputy district commissioner Brigadier Lebohang Machakela.

Motorists beware, Boksburg has been identified as a fertile ground for carjacking and other serious crimes, warned Ekurhuleni District SAPS during a day-long high-density anti-crime operation (Operation Shanela) in Boksburg on September 14.

In an exclusive interview with the Boksburg Advertiser, Ekurhuleni district commissioner Major General Anna Sithole said their analysis of the crime trends in the district has identified Boksburg as one of the problematic precincts. She pointed out that quarterly and month-to-month data show an alarming trend in certain types of crime, including carjacking, theft of motor vehicles and burglary at residential properties.

Presenting the latest quarterly crime statistics for the first quarter of 2023/24 – April 1 to June 30, 2023 – Police Minister Bheki Cele noted that 39 vehicles were stolen, while 12 motor vehicles and four trucks were hijacked in the Boksburg precinct alone over three months.

Sithole said apart from the carjacking and theft of motor vehicles, Boksburg is also experiencing an escalation in attempted murder and assault and robberies. Therefore, they decided to make this area a point of interest. Murder has gone up by 42.9%, attempted murder up by 25%, burglary at non-residential premises went up by 36.4% and rape went up by a startling 300% compared to the same period last year.

Hotspots

Their statistical analysis also identified Rondebult Road and the industrial sites within the Boksburg SAPS precinct as one of the hijacking hotspots. Most of these crimes are committed by hijacking syndicates which utilise blue lights to stop motorists before they pounce on them.

Responding to our question as to whether they suspect that the hijackings are committed by fake cops or real cops, Sithole said such crimes are in most cases committed by fake cops, but there are cases where it was found that the perpetrators are either real cops or real police officers working in collusion with civilians. “We do have previous cases where our very own members, including traffic officers and SAPS members, were arrested for these types of hijackings,” said Sithole.

Vehicles targeted

Deputy district commissioner Brigadier Lebohang Machakela shows Boksburg SAPS station commander Colonel Matshedeso Mbele and Colonel Machakela some of the things that the VCI unit check for with regards to suspicious vehicles.

Speaking to this journalist, Boksburg SAPS station commander Colonel Matshedeso Mbele said most of the targeted vehicles are bakkies favoured by South African motorists, which include Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Hilux GD-6, Ford Ranger and other high-value bakkies.

The area is of late experiencing an upward trend in hijacking and theft of motorcycles, particularly Checkers Sixty60 and Mr Delivery motorcycles.

A member of the SAPS’ Vehicle Crime Investigation (VCI) unit, Sergeant Keokame, left no stone unturned as he checked vehicles that were pulled over to see if they were not tempered with or reported stolen.

Intensified law enforcement

These trends have prompted the district to intensify law enforcement activities in the area, which include Operation Shanela, high police visibility, and deployment of specialised task teams from different units to help reduce the levels of crime.

The day-long high-density anti-crime operation (Operation Shanela) comprised traffic cops, home affairs officials and various SAPS units including the mounted unit and VCI unit.

Warrant Officer Ngobese and Sergeant Phatsoane, members of the Ekurhuleni SAPS Mounted Unit, were also on board.

This ‘upright and no-nonsense officer’, MA Mashamaite made sure that drivers who breached road regulations were issued with the necessary fines.

SAPS’s Operation Shanela nets more suspects

The operation consisted of traffic cops, home affairs officials, various SAPS units including the mounted unit and VCI unit that check for stolen vehicles or vehicles that are tempered with.

“It’s a norm in Gauteng that on Thursdays we conduct our Operation Shanela. So we as a district have chosen Boksburg for the sole reason that we realised that there is a challenge in terms of crime in Boksburg, in particular with contact crimes, property crimes and trio crimes.

One of the drivers who was pulled over and the Boksburg SAPS station commander Colonel Matshedeso Mbele exchanged smiles as Mbele and Major-General Anna Sithole searched the car.

Sithole explained that the operation started on Thursday with the tracing teams consisting of detectives criss-crossing the district.

“We had a team of detectives working across the district, and the teams managed to arrest about 200 suspects in the district for crimes ranging from murders to attempted murders, assaults and robberies. Of the total suspects arrested by the detectives, 106 suspects were arrested for contact crimes which include murders, attempted murders, assault and robberies.

“They also managed to arrest 22 suspects for contact-related crimes, 12 for property crimes, 44 for other serious crimes, and three for crimes dependent on police actions. While nine suspects were arrested for gender-based violence.

“Also on Thursday, we had a team of crime intelligence officers generate intelligence for us, and yesterday they managed to identify two houses in Boksburg where the owners are dealing with drugs. Two suspects were arrested in the identified houses, and charged for dealing with drugs.”

On Thursday, the team managed to arrest 25 illegal immigrants and traffic officers issued 68 fines to the value of R27 800. The other teams managed to shut down six illegal shebeens and confiscated alcohol.

These police officers took a few minutes to share a light moment at the roadblock in Boksburg.

“We also have a team focusing on drugs and they have arrested four possession of drugs. In our VCPs team, we have issued 12 fines to the value of R6 300.” Two suspects were nabbed for illegal mining as well as being undocumented. Illegal mining equipment, including four pendukas, three steel pots, a shovel and a crowbar were seized.

“We will operate in Boksburg to ensure that we stamp the authority of the law. We will have more of these operations to curb crime. In August, we found that crime increased, so we will camp in Boksburg and have frequent blitzes.”