The Ehlanzeni leg of the SAPS’s nationwide Operation Basadi saw a string of perpetrators of violent crimes against women, such as rape and assault, rounded up on Monday, December 30.

In addition, illegally operating spaza shops were closed, undocumented foreign nationals were taken off the streets and a raft of road traffic fines were issued in a multidisciplinary roadblock at Rocky Drift.

The operation, aimed at highlighting the role of women in law enforcement while putting in the hard graft to make communities safer, saw the district’s top brass, including the district commissioner, Major General Dorah Xaba, and the head of the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Gloria Mazibuko, roll up their sleeves and lead the fight against crime from the front.

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After an operational briefing and morning parade, teams consisting of various law enforcement agencies were dispatched from the White River Police Station.

Two extensive roadblocks, one at Rocky Drift and the other at Msholozi, saw 224 vehicles and 801 people searched. The primary aim of the roadblocks was to ensure the safety of people on the road and in communities. While on the lookout for drunk drivers, the police also evacuated fully loaded minibus taxis and cars, searching people and their luggage in pursuit of illegal items such as drugs and unlicensed firearms.

In the process, 53 road traffic fines were issued for a range of offences as well as two J534s of R500 each for driving without number plates.

Lowvelder attended the roadblock at Rocky Drift. While most people were compliant and patiently endured the traffic congestion in the blistering sun, there were a small minority who argued and tried their best to resist being searched.

The police noted the unfortunate reality of people complaining about cops doing nothing, but then encountering pushback when they actively conduct crimefighting operations that happen to inconvenience the public.

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Spaza shops, expired food and undocumented foreigners

After the Rocky Drift roadblock concluded at midday, the attention shifted to spaza shops in Msholozi. Law enforcement and compliance officers split up into smaller teams, hitting different areas at once. This was done to try and beat the proverbial bush telegraph.

Thirteen spaza shops were searched, and one was charged for operating without a permit. A fine was issued to the owner of another shop for allowing people to sleep inside it. A few others were closed as the operators appeared to be in the country illegally. A total of six men and women were arrested for contravention of the Immigration Act.

In one instance, a young Zimbabwean woman made a run for it, abandoning her toddler, when she saw the police approaching. A female officer soothed the crying child where she found him wandering in the tall grass around the shanty dwellings. A short while later, the mother was spotted and apprehended.

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A little deeper into the settlement, the owner of a butchery and restaurant, who appeared to have received a heads-up about the raid, locked the gates of the shop with a woman still inside and made tracks. Efforts to trace the seemingly errant businessman were fruitless. However, the neighbouring shop across the road was less fortunate, and the police forced to operator to lock the doors as he did not have an operating permit.

Concerningly, the police found several expired food items at various spaza shops. These items were confiscated and destroyed. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently highlighted the alarming rise in reported cases of foodborne illnesses and deaths across the country. In an address on November 15, Ramaphosa said some people were becoming severely ill and even dying after eating contaminated food, pinning the total number of reported incidents of foodborne illnesses across all provinces since September at 890.

“It has been found that some of the food items would have been purchased from spaza shops and street vendors,” he said.

While Gauteng and KZN have been most affected, he said Limpopo, the Free State and Mpumalanga also recorded dozens of incidents.

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Hunting down rapists

Meanwhile, detectives drilled down on 28 open dockets involving violent crimes against women. Their investigations lead them to Kanyamazane, Matsulu, Masoyi and Kabokweni where four suspected rapists were arrested.

They also slapped bracelets on two suspects accused of assault with intend to commit grievous bodily harm, one accused of common robbery, two suspected of committing common assault and one suspected arsonist.