The success of Operation Shanela along Sandton Drive on February 22, was an inter-departmental effort.
Sandton police were joined at the stop-and-search roadblock by JMPD, immigration officers, a Tracker unit, as well as a horse-mounted unit. Law enforcement came out in full show of force for the integrated operation, with a sniper positioned a short distance away from the busy drive to monitor the situation from a distance.
Colonel Amos Tsotetsi, the Florida Police Station commander, kept the process moving along smoothly, rendering instructions through a microphone as some cars slowly moved along the two roadblocks established shortly after the Winnie Mandela Drive interchange onto Sandton Drive.
Warrant Officer Ndivhuwo Nedzata of the mounted unit explained how beneficial it was to the operation to have the unit at Operation Shanela roadblocks.
“You find some people will get out of their vehicle and run away; we can chase them. Some will throw a firearm out onto the street because they can see there is a roadblock ahead,” said Nedzata. “When we are patrolling, we can pick up those things.”
The Gauteng District Police Commissioner Major General Max Masha was joined at the roadblock by the acting provincial commissioner Major General Tommy Mthombeni, who addressed the media during the operation.
Mthombeni said, “Sandton is one of the policing precincts where we’re having problems in terms of contact crimes – assaults, car hijackings and house robberies.”
Mthombeni seized the opportunity to reflect on the work that police have been engaged in over February across Johannesburg. He described how rapid response service members followed up on information about a house robbery committed in Mondeor, pursuing the suspects to Cyrildene.
“The suspects fired at police and police responded; two people were injured,” Mthombeni said of the four suspects arrested for that crime.
Mthombeni concluded with feedback from Operation Shanela.
“We have arrested 106 illegal immigrants here…We are moving forward with Operation Shanela. One can, indeed, say that we are ‘shanelling’ [colloquial SeTswana for chasing after criminals].”
Also, he said two persons fled from a taxi upon realising that there was a roadblock ahead. Police members gave chase, returning minutes later with the pair apprehended in handcuffs.
Operation Shanela feedback
Johannesburg district police spokesperson Captain Jeff Phora supplied feedback from Operation Shanela along Sandton Drive.
He said 355 vehicles and 669 persons were searched; detectives arrested three persons with outstanding cases for house robbery, negligent driving and fraud.
Police also visited 61 shopping centres, 65 filling stations, and four taxi ranks. Additionally, three liquor outlets were assessed for compliance, and one was closed for non-compliance and issued a R1 500 fine.
The total value of traffic fines issued during Operation Shanela amounted to R166 000.
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