According to Minister Mchunu, a total of 1 075 107 individuals have been arrested as part of the operation, which commenced on 08 May 2023. Of these, 210 693, or approximately 20%, have previous criminal convictions. This statistic highlights the ongoing challenge the SAPS faces in targeting repeat offenders and addressing recidivism in South Africa’s criminal justice system.

The operation, which targets a wide range of criminal activities, has resulted in significant arrests across various categories. The Minister also provided insights into the current status of these arrests:

• 21 104 suspects have been released due to insufficient evidence.
• 386 198 cases are currently before the courts.
• 131 590 suspects have been granted bail.

Among the 1 075 107 arrests, suspects were apprehended for various alleged offenses, with the following categories accounting for the majority of the arrests:

• Dealing in drugs: 27 173 arrests
• Illegal dealing in liquor: 36 751 arrests
• Murder: 11 237 arrests
• Rape: 16 438 arrests
• Assault GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm): 119 991 arrests
• Assault Common: 72 878 arrests
• Residential Burglary: 18 989 arrests
• Malicious Damage to Property: 25 450 arrests
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs: 34 044 arrests
• Illegal migrants: 89 442 arrests
• Wanted suspects: 25 598 arrests
• Other crimes: 157 488 arrests

The total number of arrests in these categories amounts to 635 471, demonstrating the scale of the operation and its focus on tackling various forms of criminal activity.

While the numbers reveal a significant effort to enforce the law, they further present a mixed picture of the fight against crime. The large volume of cases are still pending in court, and the number of suspects released on bail raises questions about the effectiveness of the judicial system in dealing with the arrests.

In a statement, Rise Mzansi expressed its appreciation for the hard work of SAPS officers, acknowledging their daily efforts to ensure the safety and security of South African citizens. However, the organisation has called for a deeper analysis of the operation’s impact on crime reduction and conviction rates.

In an upcoming Portfolio Committee on Police sitting, Rise Mzansi and Gana intend to request a report from SAPS Senior Management on the effectiveness of Operation Shanela in lowering crime rates and improving conviction outcomes. The organisation remains committed to collaborating with the SAPS and local communities, particularly in ensuring the safety of women and children.

Furthermore, Rise Mzansi has emphasised the importance of sustained efforts to combat crime and improve the safety of South African communities. The organization is focused on working alongside law enforcement agencies to build a safer, more secure environment for all South Africans, with a particular focus on the protection of vulnerable groups.

As Operation Shanela continues, the public and policymakers alike will be watching closely for tangible results in the battle against crime.

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The question posed by Gana further inquired on the total number of cases which the National Prosecuting Authority refused to prosecute. However, Mchunu responded that “the South African Police Service (SAPS) cannot determine the total number of cases that the National Prosecuting Authority refused to prosecute in 2023/24.”

The Minister’s reply further revealed a total of 4 153 alleged incidents of wrongful arrest were registered with SAPS, and they had received claims totalling R2 241 082 675. Mchunu noted however, that “this is not the amount that would potentially be paid to claimants.”

Gana additionally posed the question of “what total number of suspects arrested during shootouts with the SAPS have been released due to insufficient evidence in the 2013 to 2023 financial years?” Mchunu’s reply additionally revealed the painstaking process officers used to management case documents.

The Minister noted this information “is not readily available on the Case Administration System (CAS)/Investigate Case Docket Management System (ICDMS),” and a detailed analysis would need to be conducted, per station, to provide this information.

“Case dockets will have to be extracted from archives and manually perused to identify the cases that relate to this request. This will be an extremely time-consuming exercise, which, given the operational policing requirement, would not be practical, as it will divert critical resources, thereby impacting negatively on service delivery,” noted the Minister

In a statement issued in response, Gana reiterated the “need for more detectives to ensure that all credible cases reach their natural conclusion, which is to see violent criminals in prison for rehabilitation.” Further, the statement noted the closure of rape cases as an issue of great concern, particularly given the prevalence of gender-based violence committed against women.

Noting previous responses by the Minister revealing SAPS had 8 594 vacant detective posts, Gana stated that “the women and men in blue are overstretched,” and this would naturally lead to officers missing key evidence at times.

“It is therefore vital that a full complement of detectives is recruited in order to ensure that there is a full detective service that is able to ensure that heinous crimes such as rape, murder and hijacking are investigated and prosecuted,” said Gana.

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Responding to the decision, saying it “will do well in improving visible policing,” Rise Mzansi’s Makashule Gana called for “a whole of society approach.” Gana has called for an expanded deployment, with more members of CI, “working with the Hawks and the newly empowered Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC).”

“The community of Mthatha and others across the country have been infiltrated by these gangs, which have seemingly outsmarted the police, therefore the necessary response is for intelligent and specialized policing, not just brute force, so as to untangle the captured community structures from these rings.”

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

The National Commissioner stated the SAPS had been experiencing challenges, with community members being reluctant to report incidents of extortion. With this hindering their ability to carry out arrests, the Commissioner urged “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 watertight cases that will be able to stand in court. For us to pin down these extortionists, we need witnesses.

“We urge the community’s 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 General Masemola.

Further noting the National Commissioner’s statement, Gana called for communities to work with authorities, “so that stability can be brought to these communities, allowing for normal social, cultural and economic activities to continue.”

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This is according to Rise Mzansi’s Makashule Gana, who sits on the Portfolio Committee on Police. He was commenting in response to a written parliamentary reply by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, that the SA Police Service (SAPS) has a detective vacancy rate of just over 8500.

Gana noted “that there are 8594 vacancies that remain open for detectives should be a big concern for all of us considering that we’ve got a high crime rate in the country and that many cases go unsolved.” Earlier this year, former Police Minister Bheki Cele revealed that in the previous five years, 5.4 million case dockets were closed without result.

Gana further noted that the high case load is placing strain on detectives, saying “the detectives that are in the employ of the South African Police Service say they are overwhelmed by the number of cases that they have to attend to.”

The vacancies are set to increase, with Gana adding that “on average 50 detectives leave the employ of SAPS [annually], pursuing other opportunities, mostly in the private sector, which in itself is a big worry.”

Further detail on the vacancies indicates the highest number of vacancies is in KwaZulu-Natal, followed by the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, areas where Gana noted “are crime hotspots.”

Regarding possible solutions to address the vacancies, Gana called on SAPS leadership “to ensure there is a plan to fill these positions. There has to be a training plan, and there has to be a recruitment plan.”

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