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‘It’s a fact!’ – Cele insists alcohol is a major driver of crime in SA
The Police Minister led Operation Shanela in KZN on Friday.
Police Minister Bheki Cele. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Police Minister Bheki Cele has stressed that alcohol abuse is one of the main contributors to crime around the country.
Cele joined members of the South African Police Service (Saps) on Friday night as they conducted raids targeting outlets selling alcohol without a licence in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
A shebeen owner was arrested as the police confiscated litres of liquor across the eThekwini metro during Operation Shanela.
Community members, who were consuming alcohol, in KwaMashu were also dispersed by the police.
‘Driver of crime’
In a statement on Saturday, Cele expressed his “displeasure” and “great concern” about the resistance from residents during police raids and closures of unlicensed liquor outlets.
He emphasised that alcohol played a “major role” in violence in South Africa.
“It’s a fact! Alcohol is a major driver of crime in communities and police are under instruction to enforce the law and shut down illegal liquor hangouts and bring the owners to book.
“While this might be seen as a low hanging fruit or ‘easy target’ for the police, for us; prevention will always be better than cure, police must continue to target and shut down these unlicensed liquor outlets who sell to underage customers, operate for hours on end without impunity and dismally fail to ensure the safety of their customers when alcohol fuelled fights break-out or vulnerable customers are targeted by criminals,” the minister said.
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Cele highlighted how there were more than 4 000 liquor related crimes reported to the police between April to June 2023.
According to the first quarter crime stats, just over 200 murders and more than 1 100 rapes that were reportd took place either at a bar, club, tavern or a shebeen, the Police Ministry said.
Furthermore, more than 3 00147 cases of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm took place at a liquor outlet.
“Such outlets are a menace to society and to policing and will not be tolerated,” Cele added.
Operation Shanela to continue
The police on Friday also removed firearms and other dangerous weapons off the streets in KZN.
Cele said Saps would continue to carry out Operation Shanela as it continues to improve the police’s responses to crime.
“The operation is more preventive so there is less crime. I’m sure people have said there is a lot of criminality here and when they are drunk people might die, people might be raped and all that kinds of stuff.
WATCH: ‘Either you are with the people, or you’re with the criminals’ – Cele
“So the question is that do we have any alternative except going on with those operations? The answer is no, we will have to continue and make sure we hard [to ensure] that people are safe.”
Since inception in May, Operation Shanela has resulted in the arrest of more than 155 000 suspected criminals across the country, according to the Police Ministry.
Tavern shooting
Meanwhile, three people were killed and eight were injured on Friday after a group of men reportedly entered a tavern and started shooting randomly at patrons in Kathrada Park, near Sophiatown, in Gauteng.
The suspects drove off in a white bakkie.
Police are investigating four cases of murder, and three cases of attempted murder.
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