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43 arrested for murder and rape as police launch Cape crackdown

File Photo
File Photo

Sixteen murder suspects and 27 people wanted for rape were arrested in police operations across the Western Cape on Wednesday night.

National police commissioner Lieutenant-General Kgomotso Phahlane said eight of the murder suspects were wanted for police killings.

He was speaking on Thursday alongside Western Cape commissioner Lieutenant-General Khombinkosi Jula at the V& A Waterfront in Cape Town‚ where they addressed members of the public as part of a festive season anti-crime drive.

“The attack and killing of police can never be something that we can tolerate. We must work together and make sure that we eradicate the attacks on police‚ because that is an attack on the authority of the state‚” said Phahlane.

“Just this week we had one of our officers who disappeared on the 24th of December [was] found dead. Four people were responsible for that and all four are behind bars.”

The body of warrant officer Deon Dumas‚ 57‚ from Malmesbury‚ was found in Atlantis on the West Coast on Tuesday.

Two suspects were arrested in possession of the officer’s white BMW and they led police to the body‚ which was hidden in bushes.

The Waterfront was packed with holidaymakers‚ and many were attracted to the sight of Captain Alban Petersen singing at the amphitheatre.

Police interacted with the public and Phahlane and Jula greeted visitors and asked them to report crime to the police. Phahlane also asked foreign visitors to be mindful of their personal safety.

Phahlane said 2016 had been a “very successful year”. Policing of the local government elections‚ the police’s handling of political violence in Vuwani in Limpopo‚ and the handling of university protests had all gone well.

“As the South African Police Service we pride ourselves with the work that we did. Not a single institution was unable to do end of the year exams.”

He said 4 951 new constables graduated on December 15‚ all of them trained in crowd management. “It is additional capacity we have to deal with the FeesMustFall. It is not our intention to just walk into the institutions. We are relying on students being responsible‚ and the role players that are there doing what is right and engaging to avoid a conflict situation that we found ourselves in‚” said Phahlane.

“What you are guaranteed is that... we will exercise maximum restraint. We will‚ when invited to do so‚ use proportional force as prescribed by our laws.” — TMG Digital/The Times

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