South Africa: The Ministry of Police and SAPS management visited the Umkhanyakude district municipality in Northern KwaZulu-Natal to assess the SAPS border security festive season operations.
Border security is one of the focus areas of the SAPS safer festive season operational plan, which was planned to be conducted on Thursday, 28 December, at 10:30 a.m. at Emanguzi Police Station, 1 Black Road, Manguzi.
To maintain the optimistic gesture and transparency in the workings of the government and police operation, the police department of South Africa invited journalists to witness the workings and assessments of the police at Emanguzi Police Station.
A South African police security force has been deployed in the area since February 2023, when there were increased incidents of cross-border vehicle theft where illegal transfers of stolen vehicles and hijacked vehicles were illegally smuggled to Mozambique from South Africa.
Since the deployment of SAPS in the border area, there has been a decline in activities like that. More than 140 suspects linked to cross-border vehicle safety in the area have been arrested, and the authorities have confiscated more than 64 vehicles.
The SAPS forces, since the deployment in February, have also confiscated firearms and rifles as well as ammunition used in the commission of some of these crimes in the area.
The national boundary prevents criminal activities, safeguards national interests from outsiders, and promotes regional stability.
This visit was led by the Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele, the Deputy Minister of Police, Mr Cassel Mathale, and the National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola.
Minister of Police General Bheki Cele and National Commissioner of the SAPS General Fannie Masemola have maintained a strong border security force and vigilantly protected the borders and warned the criminals that they would not find any safe place to resist and cannot be taken off of South African Jurisdiction.