Kathorus crime in brief

The SAPS extended the operation and partnered with members of the Gauteng Traffic Police, Crime Prevention Wardens and the local CPF.

They searched for illegal firearms, drug peddlers, illicit goods and liquor traders. The searches included several vehicle checkpoints for drugs and illegal weapons.

They arrested five suspects for the possession of unlicensed firearms and live ammunition, possession of drugs and illicit liquor trade without a licence. The anti-crime raids also led to the confiscation of a pistol with its serial numbers filed off, five rounds of live ammunition, cash suspected to be the proceeds of dagga sales and 110 970l of confiscated alcohol.

In addition, a R500 traffic fine was issued to a motorist for a traffic violation, while about 182 private vehicles and 614 people were stopped and searched. Several suspects later appeared at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court following the arrests.

Katlehong SAPS launch manhunt for murder suspect(s)

The Katlehong police are looking for a suspect or suspects who shot and killed a 35-year-old Uber driver in the early hours of March 5 on Venus Street near the railway bridge between Sam Ntuli Mall and Siluma Section.

According to the police, the deceased was driving a white Nissan Almera from Sam Ntuli Mall on his way to Dikole Section when he was shot twice in the upper body. The driver, whose name is known to the police, died after several bullets were discharged through the driver’s door.

The driver was declared dead after his body was found inside his vehicle. At the time of going to print, the motive was unknown, the identity of the suspect/s remains unknown and they are still at large.

Police believe the Uber driver was alone in the car at the time of the shooting and that no items were stolen from him. A murder docket was opened with the Katlehong SAPS. Anyone with information about the murder can call Detective Warrant Officer Mkhize on 082 487 8362, Crime Stop on 08600 10111, or use the MySAPS crime app.
All information the public provides to the SAPS is confidential, and the informants remain anonymous.

Police appeal to the public for help

November 17 was a busy day for the local police, who were flooded with calls from the public seeking attention for crime incidents in various parts of the township.

Social Crime Prevention co-ordinator Sergeant Nkonkoane later thanked her team of detectives. She praised them for their dedication to combating crime in various sections of Katlehong. The thanks include members of the local CPF and the Crime Prevention Wardens.

“Wherever the police go, they [CPF and the Crime Wardens] are always there to support and help bridge the gap between the police and the local communities. We will always encourage communities to work closely with the police because ‘together we are stronger, but divided we fall’,” said Nkonkoane.

According to Constable Mtwa, the spokesperson for the Katlehong SAPS, the day started at Sonqoba Primary School, where the police and teachers bade farewell to pupils graduating from primary to secondary school. The occasion is never complete without the attendance of the local police because this reaffirms the strong partnership between them and the Gauteng Department of Education.

The second phase of the farewell saw the police and other stakeholders go to Siluma View, where they launched an awareness campaign against GBV. Among the guests was the ambassador for The Green Door, and SANCA shared the stage to address learners.

“The annual event has created a regular platform for men to stand up and speak out and not to bottle their feelings because this often creates more problems that solve some of the issues that lead to GBV in families,” said Mtwa.

He added that silence and the refusal to discuss family problems have led to many societal issues, such as domestic violence and suicidal thoughts, that lead to tragic results in many families.

“As a result, open talks and shared experiences with professionals often help to correct societal wrongs and shape a better future for aggrieved children,” Mtwa said.

DeafSA offers SAPS sign language workshop

Acting station commander at the Katlehong SAPS, Colonel Piet Erasmus, welcomed representatives from DeafSA, who visited the precinct to teach the police how to deal with people with hearing impairments on November 20.
Sign language is one of SA’s official languages and DeafSA believes everyone has the right to be addressed in the language they understand, especially the deaf community in townships.

DeafSA saw a need to visit the Katlehong SAPS, one of the bigger police stations in the Kathorus area, to educate them about the importance of sign language. During the session, John Maletse, who is deaf, showed how to communicate with hearing-impaired people.

Colonel Maele, the Vispol support commander, and relief commander Lieutenant Colonel Sodi expressed satisfaction with the initiative because it speaks directly to frontline workers (community service centres) and operational members (crime prevention).

GBV awareness at Sakihle informal settlements

November 22. Social Crime Prevention co-ordinator Sergeant Nkonkoane, Sector 1 manager Constable Ndlela, together with Ekupholeni and GBV brigades, embarked on a GBV awareness campaign after a spree of murders, assaults with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and common assaults in the area.

The police said they found most murder victims dumped outside the Buyafuthi hostel in the Thokoza area.
The police asked the community to be their eyes and ears and report suspicious activities to their nearest police station. The police admit there is a crisis in the area, needing the police and the community to work together to address it.

During the campaign, the police had gifts in goodie bags containing hygiene products such as sanitary pads and toothpaste and dairy products that they gave to girls. The police also distributed 150 pamphlets to educate the community about GBV and crime in general.

The SAPS in Katlehong also warned people who open cases to refrain from withdrawing them or asking the police to do so.

“This is uncalled for as it doesn’t serve the intended purpose and paints a negative image of the police and the justice system.”

Joy as an unused clinic is turned into a CPF office

There was jubilation for the residents of Spruitiew when they saw an old, unused clinic in their neighbourhood converted into a CPF office in a bid to combat rampant crime in the upmarket suburb.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, residents Tom Solani, Thembinkosi Mtshalala and Enoch Leoate described how the community approached and pleaded with the Ekurhuleni Municipality and the SAPS to help them turn the old clinic behind the Spruitview shopping complex into a CPF office because there is no police station.

“The residents of Spruitview have not had a police station to report criminal activities in the area since the closure of a satellite police station, which used to be at the local shopping complex that shut down more than two decades ago,” explained Solani.

Since then, residents have had to travel to the Ramokonopi Police Station in Katlehong – about 15km from Spruitview – to report crime incidents.

“Criminals continued to terrorise residents with impunity because they were seemingly aware of this inconvenience that saw the suburb suffer horrific crimes such as house burglaries, burglaries, rapes, car hijackings and murders,” said Solani.

He told Kathorus MAIL that the residents have successfully achieved the first stage of fighting crime in the area with the CPF office launch. The next step is to work on appealing to the hierarchy of the SAPS to establish a fully-fledged police station in Spruitview.