Lentswe, Potchefstroom - North West MEC for Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, Sello Lehari has sent a stern warning to those who will find themselves on the wrong side of the law during the festive season. Lehari said this during the official activation of the Provincial Safer Festive Season Operations at the SAPS Headquarters in Potchefstroom on Thursday October 19.
He said the operations are intended to ensure safety of all citizens including those who will be coming for festive holidays in the province.
“We are not going to tolerate any deviance, wrong doing, contravention of any statute. Any wrong move, will meet the full might of the law. Those using our province as a transit, will find the presence of law enforcement on all arterial routes,” said Lehari. He stated that operations during the season will focus but not be limited to combating aggravated robberies, vehicle hijackings, comparing drugs and human trafficking, enforcement of legislation in respect of firearms, liquor and further combating drunken driving, speeding and all moving violations.
The MEC also encourages communities to report crime as and when it happens. “It is only by working together that we can defeat crime,” he said.
In his address, the Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Sello Kwena assured communities that the police are ready to show criminals that they do not have a place to hide in the North West.
“The citizens must feel relaxed and at ease, because men and women in blue will be on the streets and all corners, watching over them. “We are going to combat crime through decisive police action and robust community involvement,” Kwena affirmed citizens.
Speaking on behalf of the Provincial Community Policing Forum (CPF), Mbulelo Makhaza committed to work with police and all law enforcement agencies in the Province.
He said they will ensure mobilisation of communities to fight crime across. He added that as learners are about to start their final examinations, CPF structures will ensure that schools are protected and learners complete examinations without any disturbances.
Both codes of conduct for the police and traffic were read during the activation where they commit men and women in blue and beige to uphold to their duties without any fear or favour.
This year’s Safer Festive Season Operations were activated under the theme: “Combating Crime through Decisive Police Action And Robust Community Involvement.”
These operations will be conducted until the end of January 2024.
