Cape Town - Shoppers, vendors, beachgoers, and those on the roads were left with quizzical expressions on their faces as they went about the daily routine of festive season holiday activities in the presence of an unusually large convoy of police and law enforcement on horses and motorbikes on Monday.
This, as Western Cape Police Commissioner, Thembesile Patekile, conducted a number of walkabouts, flanked by a large contingent of police officers and metro, traffic, and other officers.
The walkabouts scheduled for Gugulethu Mall, Promenade Mall, Monwabisi Beach, Mnandi Beach, Muizenberg Beach, Camps Bay, and Canal Walk, saw the use of the Equestrian Unit, drone technology, and helicopter present, however, not all in use at the time.
At Gugulethu Mall, shoe vendor, Michael Okereke, has been trading near the taxi rank for four years.
“Mainly December time (we see this). It feels safe. Sometimes inside the mall, incidents occur. But here, because of the rank, some of the criminals, I think they are afraid of the taxi guys so it’s a little safer.”
An informal fruit and vegetable trader and community activist, Joseph Makeleni, 54, from the Marikana informal settlement, has been trading outside of the mall for three years.
“What you see in the news on a daily basis nationally, provincially, and even regionally, all these incidents, we’ve got used to this danger though it's not natural.
“Nobody knows when it can happen, but at least it’s better than last year. Last year, we saw a lot of stuff happening at this mall.”
He said while the increased police visibility was helpful, tackling crime also required more youth-targeted programmes to keep them safer, occupied and entertained at a national and “street-level”.
Patekile said the approach was multi-disciplinary, with various departments within the City of Cape Town present with police.
“We’ve noticed that the undocumented are here, especially in our informal business spaza shops and we are giving the space for the City and police to ensure that where the registration takes place, but does it not mean those who are undocumented we leave them, but ensuring that the undocumented, we take them away, we are looking at the foods, that is why we have other departments (here).”
Since the start of these operations, a large number of guns have been recovered.
Patekile said on Friday alone, 21 guns were recovered.
“Illegal firearms are still a problem but we want to root them out because they are the most problematic weapon of choice in the Western Cape, especially in the City of Cape Town.
“We found dealing in drugs and many in possession of drugs and abuse of liquor. In many of our areas, we are taking as much liquor as possible, those who are dealing with liquor illegally.”
He said the police would be confiscating liquor found on beaches.
“We are going to be taking that in numbers with the City thus the enforcement.”
He said the operations were simultaneous and in all districts, with all police stations, and also countrywide.
Officers also confiscated guns during searches along the N2.
Other guns were also confiscated in Delft, Gugulethu, and Mitchells Plain.
“And they were on their way to town, with rifles, AK-47s, and other pistols.”
At Monwabisi Beach, officers stopped vehicles at a roadblock for searches.
The City’s Safety and Security executive director, Vincent Botto, said this was to ensure cars were roadworthy, drivers were licensed and not under the influence of alcohol.
“The one good thing is that we have 800 plus law-enforcement officers who are currently metro police cadets at the college and part of their practical training, we’ve deployed them so they’re on the beaches, on searches like this and then at various other places, swimming pools etc.
“I’m hoping that we’ll have a far safer festive season this time around with the additional staff deployed to ensure that. Please be safe, don’t drink and drive, don’t bring any alcohol to the beaches, we will confiscate it.”
The City said, over the past week, the Metro Police Department made 68 arrests, including seven for driving under the influence of alcohol, and issued 4 606 traffic and by-law related fines.
Law enforcement officers made 374 arrests for various offences in the past week. On the roads, Traffic Officers recorded 53 526 offences, impounded 233 public transport vehicles and executed 1 813 warrants of arrest.
Fifty-three arrests were made for driving under the influence (41); reckless or negligent driving (5); and seven for other transgressions.
The Public Emergency Communication Centre recorded 1 807 incidents over a 48-hour period this past weekend.
Of these, 680 were medical complaints. The centre also recorded 94 fire incidents, 137 assault cases, 45 domestic violence incidents, 47 motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents and 218 noise complaints.