Residents remove illegal electricity connections in Riverlea

Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela led a multidisciplinary team to Riverlea and Zamimpilo informal settlement in the Langlaagte policing precinct on Tuesday evening. 

This followed the community’s calls for assistance after a shooting incident in the area when residents allegedly removed illegal power connections supplying the informal settlement in which there were illegal mining operations.

Police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said there were no injuries reported from the shooting incident.

Mawela took the opportunity to engage street committee leaders and conducted stop and searches in the area while members continued with patrols with the aim of maximising police visibility. Illegal mining equipment was seized. 

Nevhuhulwi said the patrol was part of the continued fight against crime in the province.

The law enforcement agencies under the command of Mawela conducted operations simultaneously in three districts of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg with the focus on raids at hostels.

The operations started on Tuesday evening and continued until the early hours on Wednesday.

The team of law enforcement agencies comprised members from the police, metro police, traffic department, department of home affairs, community police forums and private security companies. 

Authorities conducted roadblocks, stop and searches, foot patrols and liquor compliance inspections.

During the operations, several people were arrested for crimes including possession of drugs, possession of ammunition and contravention of the Immigration Act. Five liquor outlets were shut down and the owners arrested for dealing in liquor without a license.

“The raids at the hostels resulted in the recovery of Mandrax tablets to the street value of R9,000, two stolen vehicles as per Alexandra and Marikana cases, and one abandoned firearm with a filed-off serial number,” said Nevhuhulwi. 

Mawela assured Gauteng residents police will continue making strides in fighting crime and squeezing the space for criminals.

“It cannot be normal that police share the same space as criminals. We will continue to have more boots on the ground and turn the tide against crime as we clean the streets of Gauteng.”

TimesLIVE