Senior South African Police Service (SAPS) management joined forces with other law enforcement agencies on September 5 for Operation Shanela 2 in Honeydew and Cosmo City, asserting state authority and supporting local stations in their fight against crime.

The deployment in the Johannesburg precincts was led by Gauteng’s acting provincial commissioner Major General Fred Kekana, alongside Johannesburg district commissioner Major General Phumzile Khubeka.

Read more: SAPS targets Honeydew and Cosmo City in Operation Shanela 2 crime crackdown

Kekana said the two policing areas were singled out because of a recent increase in contact and property-related crimes. “These include murder, assault, house burglary, theft of motor vehicles and theft out of motor vehicles.” He said carjacking, house robbery, attempted murder and common robbery had also risen in Cosmo City, which is what pushed the province to intervene and back up local station efforts.

By the time of the briefing, the operation had led to the arrest of more than 40 undocumented foreign nationals and the shutdown of 16 unlicensed or non-compliant liquor outlets. A driver was arrested for driving under the influence, and 12 people were arrested on drug-related charges.

Also read: SAPS Gauteng honours fallen officers at Linden Police Station

Kekana said crime prevention operations were continuing, with heightened road safety measures rolled out to manage Saturday crowds heading to sports and entertainment events. Giving a province-wide update, he said more than 900 people had been arrested on various charges since Thursday. This included 12 arrests for murder, more than 300 for assault, and more than 130 linked to crimes against women and children.

Kekana urged residents to co-operate with officers at stops and roadblocks, stressing that the police presence was purely for the sake of public safety.

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