Mchunu, Winde praise SAPS for foiling planned CIT in Khayelitsha
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has welcomed the efforts of a multi-disciplinary police team to foil a cash-in-transit heist by would-be robbers in Khayelitsha.
Eight suspects were shot dead when they opened fire on the police after being approached on Monday. The police found seven AK-47 rifles, two R-5 rifles, one R-4 rifle, one dashprod rifle, two 9mm pistols, three improvised explosive chargers and numerous magazines containing rounds of ammunition.
Speaking at the ANC lekgotla on Tuesday, Mchunu said: “We welcome what police did in Khayelitsha.”
He said the police had received intelligence information about what would have been an attack on a business or cash-in-transit heist by the suspects. Mchunu applauded the multi-disciplinary team for intercepting the suspects before they could commit a crime.
“That is the duty of the police to intercept crime and to bring crime down,” he said.
Mchunu also welcomed the seizure of the cache of arms and ammunition, saying: “These are high calibre weapons. We welcome that those were seized including pistols.”
The Western Cape Government also welcomed the swift action by SAPS members. Premier Alan Winde said he was grateful no police officers or innocent members of the public were harmed.
“This is proof that when coordinated, intelligence, and evidence-based policing are implemented, violent crime can be prevented, and we can make inroads in our efforts to fight crime. However, I am deeply concerned about the calibre of weaponry the suspects were allegedly armed with. I shudder to think of the bloodshed that would have been caused had they been used in our communities,” Winde said.
He urged the SAPS to prioritise its investigation to determine exactly where the weapons originated: “We must work closer together and do everything possible to take all illegal weapons off our streets to make our communities safer.”
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais said, “The arms and ammunition confiscated will no longer be used to terrorise our people. I trust that the suspects who were taken into custody will be able to provide further information which will assist detectives in their probe.”
Parliamentary police portfolio committee Ian Cameron also applauded the speedy intervention by the multidisciplinary team, “The operation is testament to the importance of intelligence-led policing and highlights the importance of interventions aimed at preventing crime from happening. Also, the centrality of collaboration between various units with the SAPS and the private security industry in turning the tide against crime was highlighted.”
Cameron added that the incident highlighted the worrying prevalence of illegal firearms used for nefarious activities in South Africa.
“It is concerning that the police confiscated high-calibre firearms, including seven AK47 rifles, two R5 rifles, one R4 rifle, and one Dashprod rifle. The availability of these illegal firearms is a matter of concern and the lack of effective efforts to rid our society of them will undermine crime fighting efforts.”
Cameron noted that the small wins by the police, following a similar incident in Macleantown in the Eastern Cape last week, were essential in building momentum towards eliminating the scourge of cash-in-transit heists in the country.
Cape Times