In partnership with the SANDF and other security role-players like the Metro Police and Correctional Services, the SAPS on 24 October launched its Safer Festive Season 2025/26 operation in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).

Lieutenant Siphesihle Gqirana reported that the event symbolised unity among South Africa’s security cluster and law enforcement services, which are all working together to ensure a safe, crime-free festive period for residents and visitors across the province.

At the Gqeberha launch, soldiers from Army Support Base Eastern Cape carried out a drill and ceremonial parade while a BK117 helicopter from Air Force Station Port Elizabeth carried out a hoisting exercise – 15 Squadron Charlie Flight Pilot (Major Mzikayise Sandi), Flight Engineer (Sergeant Carel van Dalen) and the SA Police Service diving team practised hoisting over water operations to the delight of assembled crowds.

Other stakeholders taking part in the launch included the South African Military Health Service (Area Military Health Unit), Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Police, Correctional Services, and SA Police Service Mounted Unit.

The launch was led by the Acting Provincial Commissioner of the Eastern Cape, Major General Thandiswa Kupiso. “It is an honour to stand before you today to share an important message. The festive season is a time of joy, celebration and reunion. It brings visitors/tourists to our province and strengthens our local economy, but it also presents challenges, particularly in terms of criminal activity. This festive season, the safety of residents and visitors is our top priority. We will not allow crime to overshadow the positive spirit of this season. Partnership is crucial; we urge residents to stay vigilant, report any suspicious activity, and avoid drinking and driving, and look out for one another. We will leave no stone unturned, criminals will be pursued relentlessly, and we are committed to ensuring that this community remains safe for everyone,” she said.

During the launch, Kupiso officially handed over 28 new police vehicles to serve communities across Nelson Mandela Bay.

Throughout October, various provinces have been launching Safer Festive Season operations. National Police Commissioner Fanie Masemola explained at the beginning of the month that the Safer Festive Season Campaign is designed to combat crime during the South African summer holidays (typically from October to January), a period historically characterised by a significant surge in criminal activity.

“The Festive Season is characterised by specific dynamics, ranging from alcohol and drug abuse to more serious violent and organised crimes. Areas of particular concern include the wellbeing and safety of citizens, the safeguarding of South Africa’s territorial integrity, combating of illicit economy and the maintenance of the authority of the state,” Masemola said.

For the 2025/2026 period, the police are focussing on ten key areas: gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF); aggravated robberies; border security; the illicit economy and serious organised crime; firearms, liquor and second-hand goods; bylaws, urban decay and hijacked buildings; road safety and traffic law enforcement; event security (including SASREA and G20); tourism safety and protection of economic hubs; and extortion and kidnapping related crimes.

Safer Festive Season operations are already bearing fruit. The SAPS reported that between 20 and 26 October, 16 339 suspects were arrested and 158 unlicensed firearms confiscated. These operations were carried out in parallel with crime-fighting initiative Operation Shanela II.

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The guards work for Reliable Guards and Mantl Five. These security companies have contracts with the departments to look after offices and other sites in Cofimvaba and Tsomo town. The strike started last Friday after more than 20 guards were fired last month, allegedly for joining unions.

The fired guards were expecting to be paid on 12 and 15 August. When they did not receive their money, the guards closed the public works department’s site in Tsomo.

On Monday this week they protested outside the education offices in Cofimvaba, demanding their pay and asking the department to intervene. On Tuesday they closed the public works offices, also in Cofimvaba, preventing employees from going in.

The guards want these departments to force the employers to take them back. Some said they had been with these companies for close to seven years.

Guard Olwethu Zekani said the dispute started a few months ago after they complained about being underpaid, not getting annual leave or family responsibility leave, and not having a provident fund.

She had worked for Reliable since 2022 and was paid R6,182 a month, she said.

“We are not getting paid overtime, night shift, weekends or for the public holidays. When we raised these issues we were ignored. That is why some of us joined the unions. But what we didn’t expect was to be fired,” said Zekani. She said she is still waiting for her last payment.

The workers are represented by the African Meat Industry and Allied Trade Union (AMITU) and the Progressive Allied and Travel Union of South Africa (PATU).

Shop steward Mthetho Boyse, who works for Mantl Five, said last month workers from sites in Tsomo and Cofimvaba were dismissed after the employers found out that they had joined unions.

Boyse said the minimum wage for security guards is R31 an hour.

“Sometimes I would work seven nights a week including weekends only to be paid R6,000. When we asked for a meeting to raise these issues we were ignored,” said Boyse.

PATU deputy general secretary Jackson Thiso said after several attempts to meet the employers, workers had taken their grievances to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). He said the employers had identified the workers who joined the unions through the CCMA application.

“Instead of solving the issues they decided to force the workers to leave the union or be fired. After they refused they were then fired,” said Thiso.

“We are talking about people who have been working for these companies for more than seven years and are only getting month to month contracts and that is not fair. Hence we want these departments to intervene,” he said.

At the education department on Monday, only management was allowed to enter after an hour of negotiations between department officials and the guards’ representatives.

Reliable Guards security director Samora Madikane was called. After a five hour meeting with the guards’ representatives and the department officials, said Boyse, Madikane had made it clear that he would only take the guards back if they left the unions. But workers refused.

Guards who worked at the education department were then paid on Monday night.

Approached by GroundUp, Madikane refused to comment. Mantl Five director Sipho Tunyiswa first said he was busy and has since not taken GroundUp’s calls.

Thiso said the education department had promised to take the matter to the provincial offices in Bisho. The union had not been able to speak to managers in the public works department and guards had vowed to continue blocking the entrances until they are heard.

Questions sent by GroundUp to the education department spokesperson Vuyiseka Mboxela on Monday were not answered. Provincial Public Works and Infrastructure spokesperson Vuyani Nkasayi said the department was engaging with the employers.

The matter will be heard at the CCMA on 9 and 17 September.

This article was republished with permission from GroundUp, the original article can be found here.

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The criminal case, which has been before the Gqeberha Commercial Crimes Court for more than six years, was due to continue on Wednesday after at last getting underway in March.

The trial was also waylaid by Mohiudeen seeking a high court review of magistrate Nolitha Bara’s decision against an application that he be supplied with further particulars of the charges against him. The review application was filed in February 2023. In December last year, the high court ruled against him. In that application, he was accused of trying to use Stalingrad tactics to delay proceedings.

The state’s first witness Adrian Samuels, general manager of Durban-based company Akisisa, which uplifted the rails, was due to continue on the stand in June to be cross examined by Swartz and Mohiudeen’s lawyers after giving evidence in March. However, illness prevented the trial proceeding in June. New dates for this week – 30 July to 1 August – were given.

In the meantime, Mohiudeen had changed lawyers for the fifth time in his criminal case, returning to attorney Nasser Ally, whom he had previously ditched.

No hearing took place on Wednesday as Samuels had missed his flight to Gqeberha, according to state prosecutor Gerrit van der Merwe.

On Thursday morning, proceedings were delayed until 11am as Mohiudeen’s new advocate, Cheryl Sjoberg, was still flying in from Johannesburg. At 11am, the court heard Sjoberg’s flight was delayed, and court was adjourned until 2pm.

When court reconvened before magistrate Thabisa Mpimpilashe in the afternoon, Sjoberg asked for a postponement as she had been instructed “probably a week ago”. She said she had not received the charge sheet and other crucial documents she needed to prepare.

This was despite Van der Merwe saying he had been told three weeks ago that Mohiudeen had changed lawyers and reappointed Ally, who had then contacted him to ask for the exhibits.

“I went through them with him,” said Van der Merwe, adding that Ally had undertaken to be ready for the continuation of the trial.

“I was not informed they would be seeking a remand,” he said. “I was still under the impression we would be proceeding.”

He argued the trial should not be postponed further as there had been lengthy delays since 2019, mostly due to Mohiudeen having switched lawyers several times.

He pointed out that the court had already warned Mohiudeen twice that if his lawyers weren’t prepared because he had changed counsel, he would be forced to proceed without them, in line with Section 342A of the Criminal Procedures Act dealing with unreasonable delays.

Swartz’s advocate Mzwamadoda Mnyani did not agree to a further postponement as he said he was ready to proceed. Mnyani said the continuous delays had led him to previously apply for a separation of trials, which had been denied, and he reserved his rights to make another application.

Magistrate Mpimpilashe agreed there had been a history of delays “attributed to accused number one [Mohiudeen]”, and that one of the Section 342A warnings had been given by her.

She noted the state prosecutor had been “misled” that the case would be able to proceed and the state had spent money on airfare and accommodation for two witnesses. Samuels had also flown back to South Africa from Dubai to take the stand for cross examination.

But Mpimpilashe granted the postponement until 8 December while handing down another warning that if Mohiudeen’s lawyers weren’t ready, the trial would nonetheless proceed.

This article was originally published in GroundUp, the original piece can be found here.

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“This is indeed a tragedy where the protectors of our criminal justice system are not safe anymore. This is unacceptable and no stone should be left unturned to bring the culprits to book,” he said.

According to reports, Ms Brown was ambushed and shot multiple times by four armed assailants while sitting in her car, in full view of her partner and child. “The brutal nature of this assassination-style killing is deeply disturbing and represents a direct attack on the justice system and those who serve it with dedication and courage,” emphasised the Chairperson.

This incident follows the tragic murder of Ms Elona Sombulula, a court official at the Engcobo Magistrates Court, in April this year. The committee is gravely concerned by what appears to be a pattern of targeted violence against officials within the justice sector.

Mr Nqola stated: “The murder of Ms Brown is not only a devastating loss to her family and colleagues, but an attack on the rule of law in South Africa. Prosecutors serve at the forefront of our fight against crime and corruption. When they are targeted, it threatens the foundations of our constitutional democracy.

“The committee sends its heartfelt condolences to Ms Brown’s loved ones and colleagues during this painful time. The committee also calls on law enforcement agencies to prioritise the investigation and ensure that those responsible are swiftly apprehended and face the full might of the law.”

He said the portfolio committee will engage with the Department of Justice and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on urgent measures to enhance the safety and security of prosecutors and court officials across the country.

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Cameron emphasised that the situation in Fort Jackson has escalated far beyond landless individuals seeking shelter. It has now evolved into a well-organized and high-value extortion racket. The land, which spans over 1,000 hectares, has allegedly been divided into 15,000 illegal plots, each approximately 300 square meters in size. These plots are being sold for roughly R50,000 each, resulting in a staggering R75 million in unlawful land sales.

In addition to the illicit land sales, households in the area are reportedly being charged “protection fees” of R1,000 per household for illegal Eskom and water connections. This further entrenches the criminality and significantly undermines municipal systems, exacerbating the already dire situation.

Of even greater concern is the fact that two separate court orders, which explicitly prohibit these land grabs, are being openly ignored. Cameron condemned this blatant disregard for the rule of law, stating, “This is exactly why the committee regards the erosion of property rights and the rule of law as an urgent national crisis.”

While the police had previously made arrests targeting known instigators, including individuals with connections to the taxi industry, the situation has only worsened since the withdrawal of charges against those arrested. Following this, illegal land grabs have reportedly resumed with renewed vigour, and there are signs of visible collusion between certain SAPS and Correctional Services officials.

To address this growing crisis, Cameron has announced that the Portfolio Committee on Police will undertake an oversight visit to the Eastern Cape next week. The primary focus of the visit will be the escalating issue of extortion and illegal land grabs in the area. During this visit, the committee plans to engage with SAPS leadership, local stakeholders, and affected communities to discuss and address the situation.

Cameron has issued a strong call to SAPS management to take decisive action. “SAPS members who collude with criminal networks, ignore court orders, and participate in illegal land sales must be held accountable. They must be arrested, charged, and dismissed without delay. The rule of law cannot bend to extortionists, especially not when those enabling them wear the uniform of the state,” he stated.

The committee reiterated its commitment to restoring public trust in the criminal justice system and ensuring that law enforcement officials uphold the Constitution rather than enabling those who violate it. The fight against corruption and criminality within the ranks of law enforcement remains a central concern for the committee as it works to ensure accountability and justice.

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The NIU is staffed with police officers who attend to medium and high-risk incidents, including cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings and armed robberies. These highly trained members are tasked with tracing dangerous and highly armed criminals who are involved in serious and violent crime including extortions.

General Masemola noted that the NIU is “one of the SAPS units that leaves nothing to chance in ensuring the safety and security of all people.” Masemola further added that when they are targeted, “the SAPS will mobilize all resources to stamp the authority of the state, to firstly protect and defend communities, but also to protect our own members.”

Noting the criminals’ willingness to go “as far as tailing our members to their base,” Masemola stated officers are clearly “dealing with criminals who have no regard for the rule of law.”

Masemola stated he was “pleased and encouraged” to learn the suspects were “met with operationally ready and tactically alert members who acted decisively when the situation called for them to do so.” He added that three armed criminals were “taken down” and no police officer seriously injured, apart from a member who was grazed by a bullet but was treated and released from hospital on the same day.

Unfortunately, two days later, the same NIU member who was targeted at the base, was targeted again while on his way to work. However, due to the officer’s “alertness, skill and experience,” the officer was unscathed and managed to return fire at the suspect.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) later traced the suspect to a hideout, and Masemola confirmed he is under police guard in hospital, receiving treatment for gunshot wounds sustained when he attempted to assassinate the NIU member.

In addition, two suspects were arrested, with one linked to the attack on the NIU member, while the other was linked to an extortion incident at Mqanduli clinic on Friday, 06 September. The suspect had entered the clinic and claimed employees were not safe and demanded a protection fee.

“We are not going to fold our arms and allow a situation where our dedicated and hardworking police officers who are entrusted with investigating and tracing hardened criminals are targeted,” said Masemola.

For police to “win the war against these extortionists,” Masemola noted it would require community members to report these incidents by opening cases with the police. “We can only conduct a thorough investigation through the assistance of witnesses and victims of crime, in order to put these perpetrators behind bars.”

Since the launch of the new SAPS hotline two weeks ago, a total of 1180 calls have been received. Unfortunately, 688 were prank calls and 431 were calls to verify the line. The total number of cases reported via the hotline which were extortion related was only 38.

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Multidisciplinary teams have been deployed to prevent, combat, investigate, and arrest those behind incidents of gang violence and extortion, the SAPS said on Tuesday 20 August.

The deployment of additional boots on the ground comes off the back of a visit and community stakeholder engagements in Mthatha and Gqerberha led by the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, the Deputy Ministers of Police, Cassel Mathale, and Polly Boshielo as well as SAPS Management led by the National Commissioner of the SAPS.

The MEC for Community Safety in the province, Xolile Nqata and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Executive Mayor, Gary Van Niekerk, also formed part of the two day engagements.

Three senior officers consisting of the head of organised crime, specialised operations and intelligence from SAPS National Headquarters have been deployed to the province each with dedicated teams under their command.

On the ground is a team of detectives from organised crime as well as serious and violent crime unit, operatives from the National Intervention Unit (NIU) as well as Crime Intelligence Officers who will work alongside and augment the Province’s existing capacity in dealing decisively with ‘protection fee gangs’.

Masemola said communities cannot be held at ransom and is urging community members to bring forward the names of these extortionists.

“The challenge that we are having is that community members are reluctant to report incidents of extortion. We urge our communities to when called upon, come forward and report all forms of criminality to us and who these people are, to enable us to effect more arrests and ensure we build water tight cases that will be able to stand in court.

“For us to pin down these extortionists, we need witnesses. We urge the communities’ cooperation in this regard. We have dedicated teams that are assigned to these cases. We are also looking at increasing capacity to register more cases and ensure takedowns”, said Masemola.

To further combat extortionists in the Eastern Cape, the SAPS on Friday 23 August will launch an Extortion Hotline Number to gather information and gauge the magnitude of the problem of “protection fees” in the province.

The SAPS said is making inroads in dealing decisively with gangs demanding extortion fees from businesses but concedes that more needs to be done.

In relation to sporadic incidents of violence and extortion at construction sites and business across the country, 722 extortionists have been arrested in the last five years. 52 of them were found guilty and collectively sentenced to 89 years and 7 months imprisonment. 93 cases are still under investigation where groupings and individuals of interest have been identified. Problematic provinces have been identified where these extortionists operate, these include the Western, Eastern, and Northern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, North West, and Mpumalanga.

In the Western Cape, well-known construction Mafia gang leader, Ralph Stanfield, his wife and fourteen others are facing 32 charges relating to the Prevention of Organised Crime act, this in relation to extortion fees.

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“The demanding schedule of the National and Provincial Elections on police officers did not dampen their commitment to the core function of combating crime, as over 500 suspects were nabbed in Operation Shanela in the Eastern Cape last week,” said the South African Police Service (SAPS).

This as South Africans went to the polls in the seventh National and Provincial Elections that got underway last Monday and Tuesday with special votes followed by Voting Day on Wednesday, 29 May.

In a statement on Monday, the police said that for the period between 27 May to 02 June 2024, police in the province arrested a total of 537 suspects for crimes ranging from house robbery to dealing in illicit drugs. 

Among those arrested were 18 motorists who were charged for drunk driving.

Police also fined 141 people for selling liquor without a licence and seized 11 592 litres of liquor.

The policing of marine life was also a prominent success as a joint operation between the SAPS and the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Environment managed to disrupt abalone syndicates and confiscated 2 913 units of abalone.

An assortment of illicit drugs with a street value estimated at over R 5 000 were also confiscated.

“A total of 21 suspects were nabbed for contravening the Firearms Control Act.  These successes emanate solely from Operation Shanela.”

Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene commended members for their efforts in ensuring the safety and security of communities.

“Even though members were deployed on election duties across the province, our men and women in blue ensured that day to day policing continued and criminals were not given the space to carry out their devious deeds,” said Mene.

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