Masemola warned that anyone who tries to stop police officers in carrying out their mandate in preventing and combating crime will be met with the full might of the law.

“An attack on a police officer, is an attack on the state and also an attack on national security,” Masemola said.

The Commissioner noted that interference with police officers in the execution of their powers or functions, constitutes an offence in terms of Section 67 of the South African Police Service Act, 1995.

He said police officials are authorised to use reasonable force to overcome such resistance or hindrance.

“Police officers are mothers and fathers who left their own families to risk their lives to maintain law and order in a bid to ensure everyone within the borders of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) are safe at all times.

“South Africans have a similar responsibility to protect police officers and stand up against police attacks and killings. Crime can only be rooted out in our communities if community members respect the law and support the South African Police Service,” Masemola said.

General Masemola said by interference or obstructing police officers to perform their functions, community members become part of the crime and undermine any attempt to address crime in their communities. Communities cannot pick and choose who they believe should be arrested or prosecuted.

“The responsibility of the South African Police Service is to execute our constitutional mandate, as set out in section 205(3) of The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, namely, to prevent, combat and investigate crime, maintain public order, protect and secure the inhabitants of the Republic and their property and uphold and enforce the law.

“Policing is not an easy task. When others run away at the sound of gunfire and threat of violence, police officers ran directly towards danger and to avert potential loss of life, in order to serve and protect the community.

“As we prepare to heighten our police operations to prevent and combat serious and violent crime including armed robberies, cash-in-transit heists, GBVF, and any criminal activities, I urge our communities to work with our police officers and protect them in the execution of their functions,” the Commissioner said.

It cannot be the very communities that depend on the police for safety who attack and kill police officers, he said.

The Commissioner condemned the recent attack on a female police officer in Kimberley.

“The subsequent arrest of the two men who attacked the female police officer should serve as a deterrent that the police will not allow an attack on its own and will not tolerate any GBV [Gender-Based-Violence] against its members,” he said.

Masemola also commended the police officers who equipped with their firearms, acted with restraint to prevent the loss of life.

He further urged the public to work with police during the festive season operations and report any wrongdoing.

“Most importantly respect the blue uniform and the blue uniform will serve and protect you. To our hardworking and dedicated men and women in blue, continue to execute your duties with diligence and honour.

“Stay within the ambit of the law but don’t hesitate to act when the situation requires you to do so. Remember to use force that is proportional and reasonable to the threat,” he said.

Masemola added that the safety and readiness of officers remain a priority, supported by continuous training, operational preparedness, and the provision of modern safety equipment.

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This is according to National Commissioner for the South African Police Service, General Sehlahle Fannie Masemola, who was gave a briefing on nationwide Safer Festive Season Operations on Sunday 2 February.

“In keeping with our promise to increase personnel and ensure more boots on the ground to keep our communities safe, I’m pleased to announce that this week, we will be welcoming an additional 5 500 new police trainees into our academies,” Masemola said.

“These recruits will undergo the Basic Police Learning Development Programme and those who are in possession of a matric certificate or a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 5 qualification will undergo the nine-month training programme and those that are in possession of a NQF 6 qualification or higher will undergo the six-month training programme,” the National Commissioner said.

Of the nearly 3 000 new police officers who joined in December, Masemola said they arrived during a significantly busy period for the SAPS, and contributed to the crime combatting operations that were aimed at ensuring the safety and security of communities, holidaymakers, and tourists alike.

During the festive season, the police arrested 244 951 people for various crimes, including among others, murder, rape, assault, illegal possession of firearms, drug dealing, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and entering the country illegally.

The SAPS safer festive season operations commenced on 11 October 2024 and ended on Friday, 31 January 2025.

Masemola also noted that nine on-duty police officers and 12 off-duty police officers, were killed, as of October last year to date.

“The ongoing attacks and killing of our men and women in blue cannot continue. This is a crime that requires all of us to stand against and prevent it from happening. What is encouraging to note is that we have categorised the killing of police officers as a national priority offence which is investigated by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as HAWKS.

“It is thus reassuring to note that during the festive period, thirty police killers were arrested with seven convicted to 22 life and additional 725 years imprisonment sentences,” Masemola said.

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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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