South Africa: 15 South African Infantry Battalion continues to dominate its Area of Responsibility through continuous and robust mobile operations. On the evening of Friday, 17 March 2023, Bravo Company received a tip-off from the South African Police Service Community Service Centre Tonga that the SA Police Service Tonga had received information of a suspected stolen vehicle parked in a residential house garage at Tonga Stand, South of Komatipoort town in the Ehlanzeni District municipality of the Nkomazi local municipality in the Mpumalanga Province (South Africa).
Bravo Company of 15 South African Infantry Battalion was tasked to follow up on the information, conducted the operation to go search the house and indeed found a White Toyota Legend 50 in the garage. The owner of the house, a South African female, was taken to Tonga Police Station holding cell for questioning.
The vehicle was taken to Tonga Community Service Centre /Police Station for further investigation. The details of the investigation are as follows:
The vehicle was recovered and Taken to Tonga Police Station. While further investigations continued and members of Bravo Company, 15 SA Infantry Battalion continued with area dominance patrols. On 18 March 2023 at 11h00, the B – Company Commander ordered the company to be alert, vigilant and on the lookout for vehicles attempting to cross the International border from South Africa to Mozambique.
While the Section was roving around the Area of Responsibility, soldiers spotted three vehicles driving towards their position. When the South African soldiers approached the vehicles, the suspects started firing at the 15 SA Infantry Battalion, and the South African soldiers also returned the fire.
The three suspects that were driving the three vehicles got out of the vehicles and ran away together with the two suspects who were on foot directing the vehicles. Thereafter the scene was swept, no suspects were found on the scene, and no one was injured.
All three vehicles were recovered with fake registration numbers. A White Toyota Fortuner, a white Toyota Fortuner and a White Toyota Raider. All three vehicles were taken for circulation. Two vehicles were reported stolen, and one vehicle with no record. All three vehicles were taken by the Police to Mbuzini SA Police Service.
SA National Defence Force and SA Police Service are doing a stellar job in mitigating the crime in Mpumalanga OPERATION CORONA Border Safety Operations. The union between the two Department representatives in Macadamia is fruitful and restores the trust of the civilians towards these organisations. All the Operations conducted and mentioned above are not solo operations but rather combined efforts.