“In the past week, these crime-fighting initiatives and tracking operations saw police apprehending 2 626 wanted suspects for serious and violent crimes including murder, attempted murder, rape, car-hijackings, sexual offences, house and business robberies.

“In addition, a total of 1 013 suspects were arrested for illegal liquor trade as well as 771 suspects for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including confiscating 25 117 litres of alcohol,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement.

The police recorded the following arrests:

146 suspects were arrested for murder. KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of arrests with 46, followed by the Western Cape with 22, Mpumalanga with 19, and then the Eastern Cape with 17.
141 suspects were arrested for rape, with the majority of arrests in Gauteng at 30.
131 suspects were arrested for attempted murder across multiple provinces.
1 580 suspects arrested for assault GBH.
2 978 suspects arrested for possession of drugs, with the Western Cape recording the highest number of arrests with 1 708, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 360, Gauteng 287, and then the Eastern Cape with 279.
279 suspects for dealing in drugs for the past week.
82 suspects were apprehended for illegal possession of unlicensed firearms.
417 for possession of dangerous weapons.
27 arrested for human trafficking.

The following major seizures and recoveries were recorded in the same period: 1 709 rounds of ammunition; 128 unlicensed firearms; 1 916 dangerous weapons; contraband goods worth more than R20 million and 65 stolen and hijacked vehicles were recovered.

Two Mozambican foreign nationals were arrested after police recovered two firearms stolen from officers who were shot and killed in Ivory Park on 01 December 2025. Seizures included the SAPS-issued R5 rifle and one pistol, and police investigation is ongoing.

Two bodyguards, aged 24 and 36 years old, were arrested outside the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court for possession of a semi-automatic AKM rifles and ammunition. A vehicle, rifles, and ammunition were seized.

In the Western Cape, police uncovered an illicit alcohol manufacturing plant in Lansdowne and arrested two suspects aged between 26 and 39 years old. They were arrested for the illegal manufacturing and distributing liquor. Seizures included manufacturing equipment, an assortment of alcohol branding stickers, and unknown liquids.

Still in Western Cape, members of the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation Narcotics Unit intercepted a truck on the N12 en route from Johannesburg to George carrying drugs. A box containing cocaine worth R3.6 million was seized and arrested a 46-year-old suspect for dealing in cocaine.

In Mpumalanga, police acting on intelligence intercepted a truck pulling two trailers with 12 water tanks with 5000-litre capacity packed with cartons of illicit cigarettes.

The seized consignment consisted of 25 pallets of illicit cigarettes worth R17.4 million. A 43-year-old foreign national from the Kingdom of Eswatini was arrested after the discovery of illicit cigarettes hidden inside water tanks in Sundra on 05 December 2025.

Also in Mpumalanga, two Zimbabwean foreign nationals were arrested for dealing in dagga. This is after police intercepted a truck on the N2 Road from Empangeni en route to Zimbabwe and discovered six big bags of compressed dagga to the value of R1.2 million on 04 December 2025.

In the Northern Cape on 04 December 2025, police intercepted a vehicle allegedly transporting a rhino horn on the N14 and arrested three suspected rhino poachers, aged between 42 and 48 years. Seizures included a rhino horn, a pistol, and ammunition.

In KwaZulu-Natal, an intelligence-driven operation conducted at Oshayanyawo, Ekombe led to the arrest of a 49-year-old suspect for possession of unlicensed firearms. They seized an AK47 assault rifle with three rounds of ammunition, an HMC pistol with 14 rounds of ammunition, as well as a shotgun with 13 rounds of ammunition.

In a separate operation, three suspects aged between 50 and 61 years were arrested at Makhasaneni for unlawful possession of firearms on 02 December 2025. During the operation, police recovered five homemade firearms, one homemade shotgun, one 38 special revolver, one pistol and ammunition.

The post Over 16 000 suspects arrested for various crimes appeared first on ProtectionWeb.

According to the latest SAPS crime statistics for Q3 2024/25 (1 October–31 December 2024), women in South Africa experienced: 961 murders – that’s 11 women killed every day 11,803 rapes – more than 131 per day, or 5 every hour 16,023 cases of assault GBH – 45 women seriously assaulted every day.

And these are only the reported cases. Thousands more remain invisible—buried in silence, fear, or distrust of a system that too often fails them.

By comparison, terrorism kills around 1,667 people per month globally. South African women alone face nearly 12,000 violent attacks every month—yet we see no comparable public outrage or mobilisation. If foreign terrorists murdered and raped women at this scale, there would be a national shutdown. Troops in the streets. Special task teams. A presidential address. Instead, we get press conferences and broken promises.

Yes, South Africa does have Sexual Offences Courts—originally reintroduced in 2013 to offer a more supportive environment for survivors. But: There are just over 100 courts for the entire country—far below what’s needed. Many are under-resourced, inconsistently staffed, or not fully operational SOC’s are not backed by permanent legislation, which limits their stability and expansion. Rural and high-crime areas often have no access to these specialised courts at all

In short: the idea exists—but the implementation is too limited, too slow, and too fragile. Forensic backlogs are growing. Cases drag on for years. Survivors face retraumatisation in court. And far too many perpetrators go free. South African women are terrorised daily—with little hope of justice. We cannot continue to describe this crisis with soft language. It is time to act.

Action Society is calling for:

Violence against women to be declared a national disaster.
Urgent investment in Public-Private Partnerships to strengthen investigative and forensic capacity
The expansion and permanent legislation of Sexual Offences Courts—ensuring access in every district
Better-trained prosecutors and magistrates to prioritise gender-based violence Enforcement of mandatory minimum sentences and the closure of legal loopholes
This is not a women’s issue. It’s a national emergency. Raise your voice. Share this message. Demand accountability. Contribute to Action Society to support our campaign for safety, justice, and reform. Because silence protects the predator—not the victim.

Juanita du Preez is Action Society Spokesperson

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Fidelity aims to work together with the FID in implementing an integrated safety and urban management strategy to prioritise safety, cleanliness, and urban management.

Fidelity said that just over a year into the rollout of the Fourways Improvement District, the area is already experiencing a remarkable turnaround. Local businesses, residents, and visitors are seeing tangible improvements as the district’s united approach to combating crime, grime, and urban decay delivers measurable results.

Following a rigorous tender process, Fidelity Services Group was appointed as the FID’s official security provider—selected for its 68-year legacy in the security industry, its long-standing footprint in Fourways, and its advanced technology designed to provide real-time protection.

The district is professionally managed by Local Abode Precinct Management, which has implemented an intensive urban-renewal programme. This initiative prioritises enhanced law-enforcement collaboration, strengthened municipal partnerships, and coordinated efforts with private security teams to reduce crime, enforce bylaws, and restore neglected public spaces.

A major boost to visibility and crime prevention has come from the powerful partnership between Vumacam and Fidelity Services Group. Nearly 50 cameras have been integrated into a dedicated control hub at Fourways Mall, creating an advanced surveillance ecosystem that proactively identifies vehicles linked to criminal activity the moment they enter the district.

The FID programme includes:

Monitoring and detecting tampering with traffic lights and municipal infrastructure
Joint operations between Fidelity and law-enforcement agencies to enforce bylaws
Large-scale cleanup and reclamation of public spaces
Collaboration between security operators to ensure a force multiplier in the area
Deployment of fire-response units, drones, medical teams, patrol vehicles, and foot patrols working in coordinated operations

Key achievements to date:

17 suspects arrested, flagged by the Vumacam system for serious crimes including vehicle theft and murder
Marked reduction in vehicle-related crime at local shopping centres compared with previous years
Fewer peak-hour outages, resulting in a noticeable decline in unauthorised individuals directing traffic
Successful removal of illegal traders and advertising trailers through joint operations with JMPD

With the festive season approaching, Fidelity Services Group said it is fully prepared to maintain a secure and welcoming environment throughout Greater Fourways. Estates, complexes, and businesses that are not yet part of the initiative are encouraged to join the Fourways Improvement District and benefit from a safer, cleaner, and better-managed community.

“Our goal for the new year is to expand membership for the FID and expand the services and projects being executed to enhance the Fourways node. Further through partnership with various entities, stakeholders, residents and various levels of government we seek to position Fourways as a leading economic, commercial and residential hub within the city of Johannesburg,” Fidelity said.

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The latest crime statistics presented by Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia raise serious concerns about accuracy, completeness and transparency, especially during the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence on Women and Children, Lisa Schickerling MP – DA Spokesperson on Police, said last week.

“While the DA notes a marginal decline in murders and attempted murders, the stark reality remains that violence affecting women and vulnerable groups is increasing and key information is missing,” she said in a statement.

Even though SAPS records crimes against children none were presented. Failing to release this data is a serious omission that prevents communities and Parliament from understanding the true scale of the crisis, according to the DA.

A major discrepancy appears between SAPS’ categories:
SAPS “contact sexual offences” category reports only 170 to 196 cases
SAPS rape statistics for the same period show 6 559 in Q1 and 7 204 in Q2

“This inconsistency raises a critical oversight question. If SAPS reports two different sets of figures for sexual violence, which data stream should the public trust?” Schickerling asked.

Small percentage drops hide extreme levels of daily violence

SAPS highlights a slight reduction in murder and attempted murder, but the real scale remains ‘severe’. During Q2 alone:

5 270 murders equals 58 murders per day, or 2.4 murders per hour
5 519 attempted murders equals 61 per day
7 204 rapes equals 78 rapes per day, or more than 3 every hour
32 854 cases of assault GBH equals 365 serious assaults per day, or 15 per hour
4 784 carjackings equals 52 per day

“This is not a picture of communities feeling safer. It is a country experiencing constant and severe violence,” Schickerling said.

High volume violence is increasing, not decreasing

SAPS’ own numbers show:
Rape increased by almost 10 percent
Assault GBH increased by 5.2 percent
Carjackings increased by 2.4 percent

“This means more people are being attacked, injured or sexually violated. A slight reduction in murder does not offset the escalating violence in categories that mainly affect women and children,” Schickerling said.

SAPS acknowledges massive underreporting but fails to reflect this in the public narrative

According to the Stats SA Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey:
32.5 percent of assaults are not reported
42.4 percent of home robberies are not reported

These are exactly the categories that dominate contact crime totals, the DA pointed out.

“Given the data gaps, contradictions and omissions, how can South Africans trust any of SAPS’ reported GBV figures? Furthermore, what is the SAPS plan to fix the escalating levels of rape, assault and violence that women and children face every day?” Schickerling asked.

“If almost half of these contact crimes are never reported, the true scale of GBV and child violence is significantly worse than SAPS figures indicate. This is why the DA calls for accurate crime statistics. They show where the problems are, guide where resources should go and expose failures so that action can be taken. Omitting child crime from the records leaves communities blind and vulnerable. The DA deems this as a failure of transparency and accountability and a betrayal of the communities who are most at risk,” the party concluded.

The post SAPS must ‘come clean’ on GBV and child violence appeared first on ProtectionWeb.

A 2015 South African Police Service docket analysis, for example, found that nearly half (47.6%) of business robbery victims nationally were foreign nationals. In North West province, the percentage was as high as 77%. Foreign nationals are also disproportionately affected by public violence, kidnappings and township extortion.

Beneath these challenges lies a fractured relationship between police and many foreign national communities. Some accuse the government of state-sanctioned xenophobia, which sees officials and institutions, including the police, perpetuate bias and endorse abuse. Many foreign nationals report mistreatment, threats, extortion and neglect by state actors. Foreign nationals also tend not to join community policing structures, so lack opportunities to familiarise themselves with police.

Studies show that when people fear or distrust police, they are disincentivised to report crimes, share information or seek protection. This hampers investigations and allows offenders to operate with impunity. South African public safety agencies, such as the police, would benefit from strategies to improve trust and collaboration with foreign national communities.

Many crimes that have traditionally affected foreign nationals have also come to pose a threat to other members of the public. For example, extortion rackets now also target South African residents and government staff, and undermine local economies and basic service delivery.

Research shows that deploying strategies aimed at building trust with marginal groups can strengthen the police’s ability to tackle crime for the benefit of all. In the case of foreign nationals, these strategies require measures to overcome language barriers, cultural misunderstandings and historical distrust.

For example, a 2024 United States police research survey found that deploying community liaison officers to foreign national neighbourhoods helped build meaningful relationships. The officers formed part of specialised units who walked the streets, talking to business owners and residents, and hearing their concerns. This improved relationships and trust, and increased crime reporting by foreign nationals.

The United Kingdom (UK) College of Policing’s national guidelines on neighbourhood policing state that: ‘Community engagement should be broadly representative and look to involve people from marginal groups.’ It recommends that police proactively include such groups in neighbourhood policing by addressing language barriers and taking into account the needs and preferences of different communities.

Another promising strategy is the practice of secondary reassurance contact, where officers follow up with victims separately from the investigation. This can secure victims’ trust by providing reassurance that police take their cases seriously. A 2025 randomised control trial in the UK found that victim withdrawal from hate crime cases dropped by 12-15% as a result of the strategy. The practice of checking in with victims required minimal resources but had measurable effects.

The practice of procedural justice is also effective at building trust. This involves showing respect, care and fairness to individuals or groups during the course of police interactions. A 2021 study in Australia – where over 30% of the population is foreign-born – showed that the approach helped to foster stronger group identification among foreign nationals with both police and the country.

At the same time, research shows that when police don’t apply procedural justice in their interactions with foreign nationals, they not only erode police and government legitimacy but can also compromise investigations.

In particular, racial or citizenship profiling engenders feelings of unfair treatment and lower levels of trust. A 2020 study carried out in El Paso County, Texas, found that being stopped, searched and questioned about one’s citizenship status decreased the chances of an individual cooperating with police during an investigation by 62%.

This should be of concern to police in South Africa, who often carry out high-density operations in neighbourhoods where foreign nationals live or operate businesses. Foreign nationals frequently accuse police and other law enforcement officers involved in these operations of misconduct and abuse.

To better investigate and combat crime for all, South African police should use evidence-based approaches to develop strategies that build trust among foreign national communities. Similar methods could be applied in relation to other marginalised and excluded groups.

This is not only a rights obligation – it is a strategic investment in collective public safety. By deliberately removing barriers to engagement, police can build credibility and trust among foreign nationals, encouraging crime reporting and the sharing of critical information.

Such measures require supportive public sentiment and political leadership for the principle of inclusion. This would enable officers to make better strategic decisions and solve more cases, and in turn make South Africa safer.

Written by Vanya Gastrow, Senior Researcher, Justice and Violence Prevention, ISS Pretoria, and Kwakhanya Max, Research Intern, Justice and Violence Prevention, ISS.

Republished with permission from ISS Africa. The original article can be found here.

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“We have indeed entered a period of heightened police operations to ensure that people are and feel safe this festive season,” she said.

Acting Police Minister, Prof Firoz Cachalia, last Friday welcomed the newly-qualified police constables who have completed their training at various SAPS academies in the country.

The SAPS has been actively deploying new constables to enhance crime-fighting capabilities and improve public safety. Some of the new constables were deployed at the Nasrec Expo Centre where the G20 Leaders’ Summit took place last month.

“It’s all hands on deck as the men and women in blue – working closely with other law enforcement agencies – continue to stamp the authority of the state in every corner of our country,” Mosikili said.

She was speaking at the release of Quarter 1 and 2 crime statistics in Pretoria this morning, which she painted a picture of a relentless fight to keep people safe.

“We are not where we want to be in terms of the numbers. We would surely like to see a further reduction of cases reported and detected as well as a lot more green graphs indicating a downward trend.

“Let’s all agree, that we are going somewhere, and we are feeling the difference through our weekly integrated multidisciplinary operations commonly known as Operation Shanela,” Mosikili said.

She said it was encouraging to note that between the first and second quarter which is the period covering 1 April up until 31 September 2025, 413 583 suspects were arrested.

“During the same period, 3 442 firearms were seized during the operations. As we are all aware, alcohol remains one of the driving factors behind a lot of contact crimes. It is worth noting that police closed and shut down 11 975 unlicensed liquor premises.”

Mosikili said throughout the country, in every province, criminals were feeling the full might of the law and that they did not have anywhere to hide.

“From the Western Cape to KwaZulu Natal and where we are today in Gauteng, police remain resolute and there is no turning back.

“In the Western Cape, where we have ongoing gang violence, 722 gangsters were arrested with 1565 illegal firearms and more than 39 000 rounds of ammunition seized during the operations.

“In KwaZulu-Natal, five accused persons behind the Umlazi Glebelands hostel mass shooting in June 2023 where eight people died were each handed down eight life sentences and an additional 15 years in jail to each of the five accused,” she said.

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The stats cover the period from April to September.

Categories that saw reductions includes murder, assault, common robbery with aggravating circumstances, contact crime, rape and sexual assault. This also includes carjacking, robbery at residential premises, robbery at non-residential premises and cash-in-transit heists.

Releasing the crime stats in Pretoria, Crime Registrar, Major-General Norman Sekhukhune said there has, however, been increases in categories such as attempted murder, attempted sexual assault, common assault and contact sexual offences.

According to the stats, there has been a reduction in murder: in 2024, 6545 cases were reported while 5794 cases were reported in 2025.

Common assault: in 2024, 42 721 cases were reported, in 2025, 41978 cases were reported (0.7 percent reduction)
Sexual assault: in 2024, 1839, in 2025, 1827 cases were reported (0.7 percent reduction)
Carjacking: in 2024, 5447 cases, in 2025, 4778 cases were reported (12.3 percent reduction)
Robbery at residential premises: in 2024, 5967 cases were reported, in 2025, 5103 cases were reported (14.5 percent reduction)
Robbery at non residential premises: in 2024, 3873 cases were reported, in 2025, 3044 (21.4 percent reduction)
Cash in transit: in 2024, 40 cases were reported, 2025, 24 cases were reported (16 counts lower)

Between July and September 2024, the police recorded more than 160 000 contact crimes, compared to 155 000 during the same period in 2024.

Carjackings decreased by 12.3 percent, commercial by 2.4 percent while residential robberies decreased by 14.5 percent.

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The latest incident that will most likely shake confidence in South Africa’s political system, and specifically the police and the criminal justice system, is the accusation by General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, provincial commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal province, that members of these institutions are involved in organised crime. The accusations are being investigated by the Madlanga Commission and heard in parliament by an ad hoc committee.

General Mkhwanazi alleged that the police minister, other members of the South African Police Force and members of the judiciary interfered with the investigation he was leading into political assassinations. He alleged they attempted to close down the “political killings task team” because of their own links to organised crime.

Signs of corruption have, over time, eroded political trust among citizens in South Africa.

In this article we discuss the findings of the most recent survey by Afrobarometer, a pan-African research network, and two attitude surveys done by Citizen Surveys for the South African Research Chairs Initiative chair in Gender Politics. The data of the SARChI Chair will be made public once the research project is concluded.

Prof Gouws specialises in the construction of surveys and analysis of survey data and Dr Kupolusi is a statistician who is her post-doctoral fellow and did the statistical analysis for this article.

The reports show a decline of trust over a four-year period. The 2022 Afrobarometer data supports the findings of our two attitude surveys.

Citizens have to trust a political system if they are to accept its legitimacy and support it. When they see the system as legitimate, citizens are more willing to obey the laws of the country. They then support the rule of law.

Political trust and legitimacy

We understand “political trust” as it was conceptualised by David Easton, an American political scientist, in 1975. It is the perceived likelihood that the political system will deliver public goods without having to be closely scrutinised by citizens. Political trust is closely linked to the concepts of political support and legitimacy.

These three concepts relate to each other in the following way. Support for the political authorities or a regime will typically express itself in two forms: trust or confidence in them, and belief in their legitimacy.

Trust is present when citizens feel that their own interests would be attended to even if the authorities were exposed to little supervision or scrutiny. Legitimacy is present when people believe it is right and proper to accept and obey the authorities, and abide by the requirements of the political system.

Trust and legitimacy are therefore distinct concepts. Trust is measured through political support for the regime and its authorities. Easton distinguishes between two types of support.

Diffuse support is a reservoir of positive attitudes and goodwill towards the regime as a whole, its underlying principles, and the larger political community. Diffuse support is more durable than specific support, which is trust in the incumbents of the political system.

Research has shown that levels of trust in institutions like parliament, parties and courts far outweigh judgements on national and personal economic well-being. Economic performance is more important in high income countries, but trust in institutions, coupled with free and fair elections, is more important in newer democracies.

Declining levels of trust

In this article, through the use of different surveys conducted at different points in time (2018 and two different surveys in 2022), we show how institutional trust has declined over time in South Africa, to the detriment of the political system.

We also show that there’s a gender gap – that men and women differ in their attitudes towards the rule of law.

The most recent Afrobarometer survey (Round 9, 2022) had a national sample of 1,582 respondents. It found “no trust” at 66% for the police, 73% for parliament, 75% for the ruling party and 72% for opposition parties. It is only for the courts where “no trust” is below 50%.

Afrobarometer’s findings corroborate those of our own surveys, done in 2018 and 2022 by Citizen Surveys, a survey company in Cape Town. The survey was conducted with a national stratified sample of 1,300 respondents in all nine provinces and translated into seven languages. The interviews were done face to face by the fieldworkers of Citizen Surveys.

What our surveys show are declining levels of trust over time in the most important institutions of the police, parliament and political parties, with “no trust” in all of them over 50%.

When it comes to the rule of law our 2022 data showed that 45.8% of respondents said it was “not necessary to obey the laws of a corrupt government”, 69% indicated that it was fine to “get around the law as long as you don’t break it”, 62% agreed that it was fine if “the law is suspended in times of emergency” and 50.4% thought it was “better to ignore the law and solve problems immediately than wait for a legal solution” (vigilante justice).

What surprised us was the difference between the attitudes of men and women for the rule of law in our 2022 data. For “it is not necessary to obey the laws of a corrupt government” 44% of men agreed vs 47% of women. For “it is all right to get around the law as long as you don’t actually break it” 65.6% of men agreed vs 71.4% of women. For “suspending the law in times of emergency” 61.2% of men agreed vs 63.5% of women. And for “sometimes it is better to ignore the law and solve problems immediately” 46.2% of men vs 53.4% of women agreed.

What this shows is that women are more militant in their attitudes towards (breaking) the rule of law – findings that were quite unexpected. It seems that women, who are often at the receiving end of crime, have had enough.

What needs to happen

Declining trust and support for the rule of law undermines the legitimacy of government. The courts have been a beacon of legitimacy but even for courts the level of “no trust” is close to 50%.

A serious problem is that citizens do not distinguish between institutions (diffuse support) and incumbents (specific support). This means that corrupt officials undermine trust in institutions (such as the police, parliament and political parties).

A decline in specific support affects diffuse support – that reservoir of goodwill toward institutions. When corruption is not dealt with, erosion of trust in institutions is a consequence of the behaviour of incumbents.

Political trust and support for the rule of law are important in democracies to sustain stability, and so that citizens will not start to look for alternative ways such as protest or political violence to make their demands known to those who govern them.

Written by Amanda Gouws, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the South African Research Initiative in Gender Politics, Stellenbosch University; and Joseph Ayodele Kupolusi
Senior Lecturer, Department of Statistics, Federal University of Technology, Akure.

Republished with permission from The Conversation. The original article can be found here.

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The operation, carried out between 17 and 23 November 2025, is running alongside Operation Shanela II to ensure safety and security ahead of the festive season.

According to the SAPS, in one week, 1 870 wanted suspects were tracked down and apprehended for serious and violent crimes, which includes murder, rape, car hijackings, house and business robberies, and drug trafficking.

The nationwide breakdown of arrests across various crime categories include:

143 suspects were arrested for murder. Gauteng recorded the highest number of arrests with 38, followed by KZN (26) and the Eastern Cape (25).
178 suspects were arrested for rape, with the majority of arrests in KZN (39), followed by Eastern Cape with 25.
170 suspects were arrested for attempted murder across multiple provinces.
1 534 suspects were arrested for assault GBH [grievous bodily harm].
2 778 suspects were arrested for possession of drugs, with the Western Cape recording the highest number of arrests with 1 649, followed by KZN with 390 and then Gauteng with 287.
283 suspects were arrested for dealing in drugs, with the WC leading in arrestes (77) and followed by KZN (48).
99 suspects were apprehended for illegal possession of unlicensed firearms.
600 suspects were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
890 were arrested for illegal liquor trade.
449 were arrested for possession of dangerous weapons.
Major seizures and recoveries stand as follows:

1 818 rounds of ammunition were seized during the same period.
150 unlicensed firearms were seized.
984 dangerous weapons were recovered.
Contraband goods worth more than R4 million were seized in the past week.
61 stolen and hijacked vehicles recovered.

Highlights of takedowns conducted across the country are as follows:

North West: Four suspects were arrested after kidnapping and robbing a businessman at Madibeng Hills, Klipgat, on 20 November 2025. During the tracing operation, police confiscated items, including two Pioneer CDJs, a Dixon mixing console, power cables, and an iPhone.

Gauteng: Police successfully recovered a Freightliner hijacked truck transporting medicine valued at R2.5 million in Olievenhoutbosch, Tshwane, on 21 November 2025. A suspect was arrested on the scene. Still in Gauteng, the Counterfeit Unit, in collaboration with brand protectors, conducted operations across the province and seized counterfeit and illicit goods worth R1.8 million.

Limpopo: Police, in collaboration with private sector partners, executed an intelligence-driven operation in Modjadjiskloof targeting suspected scrapyard linked to illicit vehicle activities and seized seven vehicles for further investigation.

Western Cape: Four armed suspects, who were travelling in a Toyota Hilux, were arrested, and one suspect was fatally wounded in a shootout with police at Jakes Gerwel Drive in Mitchell’s Plain on 19 November 2025. An Ak-47 rifle and two pistols with ammunition were seized on the scene. Still in the Western Cape, the Provincial Counterfeit Unit, Anti-Economic Task Team and brand protectors executed an operation and seized counterfeit and illicit items, including card games, branded products, tobacco products, and accessories worth R1 million.

Free State: Police arrested a wanted suspect linked to the murder of a 73-year-old woman, Senyora Mofokeng, who was found dead at her house after collecting her pension money on 03 December 2023. In the Free State, a joint police operation conducted at the Vaal Plaza tollgate led to the arrest of two suspects linked to armed robberies at jewellery stores in Bloemfontein. Police intercepted the suspects’ vehicle at the tollgate and a shootout ensued after one of the suspects pointed members with a firearm. Both suspects, aged between 27 and 35 years, sustained injuries and were treated on the scene. Police seized two 9mm pistols, an AK-47 rifle with ammunition and jewellery believed to be stolen during recent robberies

Mpumalanga: A 42-year-old suspect was arrested for kidnapping, robbery, and raping a 30-year-old woman at Bhamjee sqautter Camp in Ngodwana on 17 November 2025.

Eastern Cape: Police arrested two more suspects at the Vaal Plaza in Gauteng, who were linked to an armed robbery of a jewellery store at a shopping mall in Gqeberha on 18 November 2025. During the takedown at the toll plaza, a shootout ensued after one of the suspects pointed the police with a firearm. Both suspects sustained injuries and were arrested on the scene. Police seized two 9mm pistols, an AK-47 rifle with ammunition and jewellery believed to be stolen during recent robberies.

Still on Eastern Cape, police intercepted an Opel Astra along the N2 near Jeffrey Bay and arrested three suspects for conspiracy to commit abalone poaching. Police seized 17 diving goggles, 5 torches, 17 pairs of diving boots, 17 pairs of flippers, 14 backpacks, 14 waist bags, 17 chucking tools, as well as a vehicle for further investigation.

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Workloads for court officials are unbearable. There are too few courts. Court buildings are old and inadequate. Security for witnesses, lawyers and the public is poor. Cases come to court which should not. There is general chaos.

There are too many cases daily in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court, from murder, dealing in drugs, armed robbery, sexual assault, and a range of minor offences. The same situation applies across the board.

Courts just cannot cope with the cases that are brought before them every day, particularly on Mondays.

At the Cape Town and Wynberg Magistrate’s Courts there is only one court that deals with bail applications, and there are just far too many applications to be dealt with.

There should be at least two courts dealing with these applications, particularly where there are serious offences involved and where such applications are opposed. Generally, opposed bail applications take much longer, and these cases sometimes take months to finalise, though by nature they are urgent and should be dealt with speedily.

In other courts as well, trial matters are delayed for lengthy periods, sometimes even for years, because courts in Cape Town, and throughout South Africa, cannot cope with the high rate of cases presented to them.

The solution is short, but perhaps not that simple. We need to create more courts, and employ more magistrates, but it is vital to employ magistrates who have the necessary skills and training to deal with cases efficiently.

Many cases have to be postponed, and many accused are being kept in custody — sometimes for years — because courts simply cannot cope with the caseloads involved.

The key challenges relate to the high rates of crime in this country. Also, too many petty cases are brought to court which should rather be diverted from the criminal justice system in favour of alternative dispute resolution, mediation and the like. I believe the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) should look at more efficient ways to resolve matters without necessarily prosecuting each and every case.

The duty of prosecutors is to look objectively at cases to determine whether there are merits in continuing. Some do apply their minds to determine if there is a reasonable prospect of a successful prosecution, but others just continue with cases merely at the behest of a complainant.

There are very competent magistrates and prosecutors in Cape Town, but there are also some who are just prosecuting for the sake of it, and there are certainly magistrates who need to be better trained in order to be able to deal with matters more efficiently.

More magistrates and prosecutors are urgently needed in Cape Town. These could also be drawn from the private sector. Private attorneys can also assist in prosecuting cases and, in some serious cases, they should be appointed by the NPA.

This does not usually happen in South Africa, but I believe it’s something that needs to be looked at. For example, many cases emanating from the Zondo Commission Report have been left “unprosecuted”, and more private attorneys, private forensic experts and private investigators should be brought in to deal with these cases.

Wild West comes to Wynberg

The recent Wild West-type shooting incidents at Wynberg Magistrate’s Court, as well as at other courts across the Western Cape and in other parts of South Africa, bring the security issue into sharp relief.

The Witness Protection Programme is not properly run. Sometimes, witnesses sit in the same corridor as accused persons. Recent incidents at Wynberg, where a witness was stabbed on the stairs leading into the building, and another in which someone was shot on the fourth floor in the regional court section, have brought this matter into the public realm.

There should be protection for witnesses, wherever they come from, to and from the court, and in the court itself.

Appearing as a witness in my own attempted assassination case was quite traumatic. The people who are believed to have shot at you are watching you all the time, and their friends could be outside the court.

At most courts, the security machines which examine items being brought into the building are just not working. Searches of people are ineffective. Security guards are untrained and ineffective in a crisis.

There have been several instances in recent times when courts have had to be evacuated due to bomb threats. How do you get bombs into courts?

Brawls in court corridors, often between rival gang members, are commonplace.

In the shooting incidents at Wynberg, people were running down corridors. There were children at the children’s court, which is one floor below where the incident took place. Magistrates, prosecutors and lawyers were extremely traumatised.

Dangerous

All lawyers, prosecutors, magistrates and judges have to be vigilant, because they may be dealing with very, very unpopular cases involving accused who may be very dangerous. Yet there is no secure parking for lawyers, in particular. In some instances, lawyers have to walk significant distances to court, after parking their vehicles in parking lots.

Often, there are not even consultation rooms at courts. It is difficult to consult in the court corridors as you are then exposed to witnesses, who may not like you because you are defending an unpopular client.

Some courts are in disrepair and have not been upgraded for many, many years. Some courts, like Hermanus, are in a shocking state. Malmesbury Regional Court burnt down four years ago, and hasn’t been repaired.

The authorities have done very little about any of this, though I have complained on many occasions. The Department of Justice and those responsible for security don’t even meet with lawyers, or with organisations acting on behalf of lawyers, to discuss their views.

As for the role of the police in the court system, there are too many cases for the police to handle. There is a lack of training. Many police detectives have left and retired from the service and this causes another problem in the proper and efficient investigation of cases.

There are delays at the various state laboratories where blood samples and DNA are tested. There are also holdups in various other areas, like ballistics, which in many instances result in cases being struck from the court roll because they are unreasonably delayed and investigations take so long.

Revamp

As an attorney, I represent people from all walks of life, who are owed equality and fairness under the law. The time has come for urgent action to save our criminal court justice system from irretrievable breakdown.

We need a complete revamp of the system.

A concerted effort should be made under the auspices of the Minister of Justice, where all involved can give their views on how to improve the decaying system, through the Law Society and the Legal Practice Council.

The time for urgent intervention is now. We need to save our precious court system, and to protect the noble concept of justice for all.

William Booth is a Cape Town attorney, who serves on several committees, including as head of the Law Society of South Africa Criminal Committee. He is also an appointed counsel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Republished with permission from GroundUp. The original article can be found here.

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